After visiting Jabil (our second contract manufacturer) during the morning we traveled to Shaoguan by bullet train operating at 190mph. The Chinese government has made it a priority to develop the high speed rail system throughout the country to facilitate inland development. As impressive as the train is, the station from which we departed was even more so. The shear scale was only surpassed by the architectural beauty. I place my camera on the ground to make this self portrait with the ceiling of the station as a backdrop. The little girl was interested in my camera and was thrilled when I showed her this image of herself.

We are met at our destination by a representatives of Standard Motor who will host us for meetings tomorrow. En route to our hotel they treat us to a brief visit to Danxiashan park a World Natural Heritage site. This geological red rock wonderland is best known for what is aptly named the Male Stone. Dinner this evening features more eye ball laden food as well as several new challenges to my gastronomic sensibilities. Out of respect for our gracious hosts, I sample duck tongue, jellyfish, shin meat (from undisclosed animal) and several other “delicacies.”

After dinner I went for an extended walk and spent most of my time with a group of teenagers who were in-line skating at a local park. They had set up plastic cups to create a slalom course which they traversed with great speed and stylized footwork. I approached and asked (using gestures) if I could videotape them. After filming for almost 30 minutes I showed them some of what I shot. They asked (using gestures) for my e-mail address which I was happy to provide. Despite a total language barrier, I was able to connect with some pretty cool kids using my camera as a bridge. I hope to post an edited video when I return to the US.