A dream of mine is, one day, to gather up a crew and go out and about in a few cities (Detroit, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta) and take a gajillion pictures of both the bright and shiny parts, which are easy to find pictures of, and the icky downtrodden parts, which are way, way harder to find.
I just spent 3 weeks in Chine (2 in Beijing) and I was thinking the same thing when I was there. But alas, by GF did not understand why I wanted to take photos on the... um... less touristing aspects on the city. But for me, it was like I was looking at a version of the barrens (with less gangs perhaps...)
"Beijing... is like living in a dusty globe. The sky above is a constant grey haze, no clouds, no stars, no sun or moon. The air is hot and humid and thick. Within hours of arriving, your throat will begin to ich and then burn from the dusty poluted air. Everywhere you go are endless buildings, and endless crowds of people. The constant noise, the constant people pushing against you can be draining. On a hot day, your shirt will become wet with the sweat and grime of the people around you. As you walk down the street, you must make your way past the the street vendors, selling hot food, fresh fruit and various grey/black market goods. Among them are the beggers, men and women barely alive, starving and diseased, crying out for help and ignored in the most part by the living city around them. When in Beijing, you can travel a hour in any direction and still be surrounded by tall modern building and endless apartment buildings. Modern corporate headquarters sit surrounded by decaying tenaments. Corporate workers mingle with labourers from the rural provinces. Designer brands sell t-shirts for 20,000 RMB, accross the road you can buy a knock-off for 20 rmb. Poverty and wealth, endless buildings, heaving crowds. Welcome to Beijing!"
I actually like Beijing and China in general, but damn if it isnt dramatically different from Australia...
