Author: Dave

I've always been curious about the world beyond my own backyard. While many people spend their entire lives close to where they were born, I've been fortunate enough to travel across the United States and around the world. Every place I've visited has challenged my assumptions in one way or another and reminded me that, despite our differences, people often have far more in common than they realize. I don't write to tell personal stories for the sake of telling them, and I don't believe every article needs to revolve around me. Instead, I enjoy using my experiences as a starting point for exploring larger ideas. Whether it's something I noticed while walking through a market overseas, a conversation with someone from another culture, or simply observing how different communities solve similar problems, I'm interested in the lessons those moments can teach all of us. Travel has given me perspective, but it has also taught me humility. The more places I visit, the more I realize there is still to learn. Every culture has something worth appreciating, and every journey has a way of expanding how we see the world and our place within it. When I write, my goal is simple: to share thoughtful observations, compare perspectives, and encourage curiosity. I hope readers come away having learned something new—not just about another place, but about the world we all share. If one of my articles inspires someone to look at a familiar idea differently, ask a new question, or venture a little farther than they otherwise might have, then I've accomplished exactly what I set out to do.

Chinese War Training Personnel

Dave


As I was walking around and trying to get some photos at Tiananmen Square I, being a foreigner, was stopped by every security guard, policeman, volunteer security, and any other random security person. Obviously I don’t look asian and when they saw me coming I would get my documents ready because they were going to be asking for it. When they were checking my documents I saw this person with War Training on his back so I took a photo. Does the war training mean he is a military personnel or is he specially trained for specific situations? It certainly gave me pause because during this time of COVID and China has the country locked down where there aren’t many foreigners in the country at all, why is security for this specific tourist location so tight and only tight for foreigners. Security wasn’t tight at all for anyone who looked asian.

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Tiananmen Square

Dave


I finally made it to Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing and at a time when the rest of the world is opening up, China has things locked down. This was as close as I could get and these are the clearest photos. That is due to all the security, umbrellas, vehicles and everything else they put in the way. What is really silly, stupid, insane, choose your preferred adjective, is that they have the whole street blocked off and you must first register on a website for a reservation number to go stand outdoors in order to take photos, where it couldn’t be better ventilated, to protect against COVID, somehow that registration number makes you healthy and safe.

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The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong

Dave


Across the street from Tiananmen Square is the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. This chapter is straight out of the dictatorship playbook to put a leader’s body to rest in a mausoleum. Mao was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1935 until his death in 1976. He was part of the movement to abandon of Western liberalism for Marxism and Leninism as the answer to China’s problems and the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921.

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