HOTLOG

Tired and hung over from last night. Take a cab to the CCTV site and shoot some photographs. Try to walk around the site, but give up half way. It is huge and buildings are blocking both access and view, the light is also not ideal. Go home and start drafting a detailed plan.

Hong picks me up to go to a rock concert at the Drive in Cinema. The music is so, so, but many friends show up and we end up at the 2 Kolegas Bar where Melvin jammed on Tuesday. Work till late when I get back.

Another rainstorm causes the same effect as the last one...
Take M&m to the airport after a lovely good buy lunch with Natalie. Security is tight and I am not allowed to accompany them through to check in. Contemplate my project in the cab back and come up with a solution: green screen wall. Sleep, shower, laundry, At Cafe, food shopping and back in time for tonight's BBQ. Have been here long enough to have an ordinary life :)

The occasion for this BBQ is Pauline's departure back to Belgium. She is the organizer of an upcoming short-film festival featuring Chinese and international artists. The Shangrila crew, Iain and other friends show up. I show Bård my photographs and he gives me some good advice - everything is cool. Xu Zhongmin invites everybody to his apartment for more drinks. He lives not too far away on the ground floor of a new high-rise. The interior is very modern with a huge plasma screen, 3 large couches, a chaise-lounge, an excellent bottle of whisky and a good selection of music. Only Caroline and I are foreigners. The Chinese party in a mellow way for long hours, I give in around 5 am - the party goes on to dawn.

Wrap up day. M&m are leaving tomorrow. Work on the web presentation for my installation. Check it out: East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Meet up with Dr. Ling to get some herbs.
Present shopping at the toy market and Pearl market.
Dinner with Ola and his wife Anna at the vegetarian restaurant by the Confucius Temple.
The network is down at At Cafe.

Wake up by a wonderful rainstorm and a not so wonderful smell. The bathroom is flooded by 10 cm sewer water - yuck! I call for help and some hours later it is getting fixed. We stay inside till the rain stops. The courtyard and roads are also flooded. Go to check mail and upload my project description at At Café.

We have dinner with Bård, Petter and Pål in my favorite restaurant in 798. They are all great people and we have a good time :)

Get up early. No electricity.
Platform director Lou Hong takes me to the market for construction materials. I want to buy green construction screen for the tent in my installation. We find steel rods for the frame too, and the prize is good.

Go to check mail at At Café. Run into Qing Qing. Leave through the back gate an check out the local market. The veggies look very tired, I find some grass mats but we don't buy anything. Take a cab home to shower before heading to Chaoyang Park where Tie Qiao has invited Melvin to join a jam session in a rock club. We have dinner together after a brief sound check. The band sounds pretty good, and Mimir and I take a brake to explore the Drive-in Cinema .

More video editing. Make a trip to 798 to check mail, the Armanian curator needs hotlog image for the catalog. Run into Jinny who's leaving tomorrow. Shop food at the Super Store. Swing by Lido Hotel for some cash. Back to editing.

In the studio editing video all day while Melvin mixes the rain, water tank and shower sounds I have recorded. A few people come by. Mimir is in the courtyard driving his remote control car and making friends. Go to bed a little earlier than last night.