The Space Needle...

It was like this big disc in the sky. This is the best I could get. The other shots were all too blurry as I was shooting out the back window as we were flooring it...

Actually, this looks kind of appropriate.

China dreams

So, I was stuck in traffic the other day, leaving work, and I happened to see two friends of mine, a young Chinese couple, picking their way between the cars ahead, and, with the sun shining and some classical music on the radio, I couldn't help but wonder about the amazing generation that has appeared in today's China.

We heard all about the one child policy, and the gender imbalance and the Little Emperors and all the negatives, but I don't think anyone quite grasped what would happen if you took millions of children and gave them each the full resources, and the hopes and dreams, of a family, in a culture that already values education and enterprise.

This generation is like no other before it. Their parents battled through multiple wars and the cultural revolutions, just to give them the opportunity they have now. This generation is taking on the world and literally building a new society, the first truly modern China in centuries, picking and choosing to see just what they want their new world to be like. They are tech-savvy and brand conscious, and they are just starting to get to the point where their dreams won't just be the imported ones they've coveted on the internet and on tv. And when that happens, watch out...


Edited: I decided, on reflection, that "in a thousand years" wasn't actually true, so I changed it to "in centuries".