Face of Jesus Reported on Fruit; Christianity Deemed Most Creative Religion to Attract Newcomers

Shane Hladun, 22, of Zhuhai, China, spotted the image while preparing a snack.
He says the stunning resemblance to Jesus Christ has reassured him that "life is going to be good".
The 22 year-old said the image looks just like Jesus and proves "he's listening".
He said he won't be eating nectarines any more and plans to purchase new fruit.
According to the Boston Globe, he shared the photo on Facebook, and was reassured by friends that they, too, saw Jesus on the fruit.
"So I said, 'OK, I'm not crazy'," Mr. Hladun said.
When asked to comment further Mr. Hladun said, "I've seen other so-called miracle faces before, and mine is the most distinct. I'm obviously the best."

First of December

Happy first December at plus 20 degrees!

The beach soundtrack seems appropriate as I remember this evening, Moby and all that. After a lovely day at the beach (although it was a bit windy), I had a great evening.
When Chinese people go to the beach, they do so in suits and dresses. The particular beach I was at today, a place I call Sands beach, regularily has photo shoots for newly wed couples. This afternoon I was the mode of interest for beach goers and Married-makers alike, even becoming a part of the photo shoot once for the latter. It's been very smoggy lately, so there isn't much to be seen on the ocean's horizon, but with a UV index of 6, it's still adequate for a suntan. (in december)
This was taken on Saturday, as I left for class at 7 am. It seems I've fallen into a routine lately, waking up earlier than I would have in Canada, around 8 am. I guess I'm getting old.


Tonight I left for Gongbei to meet John, my co-worker, his girlfriend, and Matt and Alyssa, from America, for Go Kart Racing. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera, but let me tell you.
We all sat around drinking a beer, to liven things up, as we watched three Chinese drivers take the curves. This was an underground racing circuit with fast cart cars. The track took about a minute to finish at our fastest, and with curves was approximately 500 m long. I could be very wrong on my estimation.
We put our helmets on, and took off. I was m'f-ing Tokyo drifting, alright. This was such fun, I think it will become a weekly mainstay for us, overtaking each other, screeching around corners, and losing control. In China, there is a saying among us foreigners: There are no rules here. Therefor we can do whatever we want; crash into the tires that surround the track, into each other, go as fast as we want, endless.
40 kwai for ten minutes (which did feel like a while), or about 7.50 CAD.
We took a walk down Walking Street to a place John had dranken snake blood and Baijo (the local hard liquor). The reason for this: live snakes (in cages). Vipers, Kraits, Sea serpents, and other snakes I couldn't recognize lay in cages for the curious to behold. It was a draw in for business, and it worked on me. Although the shop wasn't busy, after we stayed to drink beer and chat, it opened up with customers.
Being white, I can take advantage of some great things here in China. As well, however, I am also taken advantage of. While sitting down in this open restaurant, our group was approached by seven people throughout the night who wanted to polish our shoes for three kwai. In addition, three people who wanted to sell us roses for our 'girlfriends', but one of them came back repeatedly, I think. They were very persistant, and even when we ignored them they still usually did not go away. It's fun in these situations to say things in English, and know they would not realise what was said.
Partially through our stay here, I looked outside to see the owner had lifted out a snake from its cage, cut its head off, and drained its blood into a shot glass. The body still writhing minutes after decapitation, John told me it was an expensive delicacy to order a snake that cost upwards of 400 kwai, drink its blood and eat its flesh. One day I will try this, merely because its available, but that night was not tonight.
I shared a taxi home with the Americans, after getting sugar cane/bamboo (I'm not sure what it was, or if there is a difference) to try. It was fibrous, and filled with sugar water. Again, something in China I'm glad I tried, but not willing to get again.


This week is chock full of fun stuff. Tomorrow I'll finish climbing Phoenix Mountain, this time with Laura, and with more daylight. Hopefully, I'll run into a snake so I can drain its blood! :)

ah, Nida

bugs and ancient artifacts

Was walking along the island's rocky beach and found a fragment of what could probably be second century Ching Dynasty. there was a thin layer of what looked like quartz, or rocky plastic, on the inside. Any thoughts?


Also, found a bug on the ground.

Phoenix Mountain, a la Darwin

I've decided who my hero is. Charles Darwin, Naturalist.
And, with the recent 150 year anniversary of his The Origin of Species, I just might be his reincarnation.

My conclusion arose as I tramped through what could only be described as dense southern China jungle. My party had not encountered any snakes, yet, and I was regretting having worn only shorts. Bamboo shoots reached more than twenty feet into the sky, as leafy vines crept slowly upward, gently approaching a stranglehold. Black burs resembling scorpion stings clung to my shirt.

There were lizards, and there were ants. Gary (pictured above) found a praying mantis, about eight inches in length.


(this seems like a bad place to put it, but Gary owns an iguana back at his home, and he let me pick it up. Here I am preparing to kiss it.)


The vegetation was incredibly lush and exotic. I came upon some of the coolest plants I've never seen before, and a small waterfall near the beginning of the mountain's slope.


The next picture is of a plant I happened upon that I almost missed. It was covered in ants and sandy dirt, but looked similar in comparison with the so called 'corpse plant' that reaches an immense size and smell. This was not, but seemed very peculiar. Wide and corrugated leaves protruded from the ground, as did a stalk (of palm tree nature) that had attached to it at the top a large, purple acorn shaped flower, with yellow smaller flowers around it. If it stood, which I'm guessing it did at one time, it would've been just over a foot tall. There was no overpowering smell.

If you know what this plant is, please let me know. I'm very curious, and could not find it on the internet.

As we continued on, hopping over small ponds and perhaps quicksand, we encountered a steep cliff unexpectedly.
"There's a simple path up the mountain," my friend explained. "No steep cliffs to expect."

I went first, scaling the first 20 feet easily. As I neared the top it grew steeper, and I could only grasp ropey vines and old tree limbs that jutted out. My foothold in some animal's nest broke apart, spilling dirt everywhere, and throwing me swinging along the cliff.

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Earlier in the day I met up with some friends I met through TPR, the school where I work. From the top is George, Gary, and I-ping. American, British, Chinese.

They live outside the main Zhuhai districts, and have a more peaceful sense of life, albeit surrounded by more slum. I would prefer to live out here to be closer to nature, and to not feel the hurried mindset of a downtown. Since I'd not been to this part of town before, Gary showed me a garden store, the biggest I've seen here.

Here I-ping and Gary look at small banana plants. There were a few exotic plants here, and some rather large palms and tropical bushes.
I think this is a chocolate lab, the only one I've seen here. Colby :)


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There I was, hanging from vines hundreds of feet in the sky, the only thing stopping me from plummeting a thin rope-like vine I had managed to hang on to. Nevermind Charles Darwin, this was more like Indian Jones, also my hero. I managed to get a firmer grip with my dusty shoes and pull myself up the last few feet of the cliff. I clambered up the side, and stood, arms at my side... as I reached into my bookbag to grab my camera, and take photos of the scenery.



We had left quite late in the day, and unfortunately could not make it to the peak with enough sunlight to spare.
(Yes, that's a golf course you see in the background)
We headed back down to the long walk home, and an evening at BBQ. Not a better ending.

Astrology Mountain

Made a trip to another, smaller mountain today, that I like to call Astrology Mountain (Makes it sound like wizards are involved). Steep paths rise and twist up the front of it, periodically sporting larger-than-life-sized members of the Chinese Zodiac. Accompanied alongside are blurbs that tell of lucky numbers and fortunes for the reader... in Chinese. Good thing I don't believe in luck.
In the distance you can see a radio antennae atop the tallest peak. That's where I climbed two days ago, listed in the previous post.

The view looking southwest, to Macao:


The chinese call the giant boulders that sit atop these small mountains 'rocks from the sky'. They must have small imaginations...


Looking north: (my apartment is just beyond what you can see in the photo)




As I write this I sit with my lap top warming my feet with its acidic warmth, as this apartment has no heater, nor do any buildings in Zhuhai, that I know about. Luckily I am Ukranian, and I take my garlic pills.