The Many Lenses of Miranda

As is the case with many of the cities I’ve travelled to in China, I travelled to Dalian not purely for vacation, but also on the business of an academic event. On one of the days before the event – I don’t remember when exactly – we went to a popular seaside promenade.

In a scene very unlike the landlocked Beijing, seagulls swooped in and out, and all sorts of people – families, groups of friends, pairs of lovers – gathered near the water to watch them fly about in the breeze. I recall the sound of a busker singing “成都” by 赵雷. The acoustic strings reverberate in the glow of the sunset as he strums the familiar chords.

With me, walk down the streets of Dalian.

There’s a peculiar sense of serenity. Meandering through the 4-seater bikes. As a street vendor blows huge bubbles that catch the sun in iridescent flashes, a man cycles by with a trail of cartoon balloons following behind him. There is space to take a break, on the cusp of something new, before I carry on with the days of the competition and chaos.

This will probably be the only set of photos in my collection not taken with a proper digital camera (this was shot straight on an iphone), but I feel like it too, reflects some important memories that deserve to be captured.