"Know when to Hold'em... "

Wondering around Beijing on foot is not for the weak of sole. The site of the 2008 Olympic Games is much more spread out than the previous two cities I have visited in China. While Beijing does offer public bus and subway service, I found that Taxi's were the most efficient way to get around the city with fares averaging around $1 - $3 us. Pretty reasonable for a mode of personal transport generally regarded as a luxury.

Over the past few days I visited a number of well known Tourist sites: White Cloud temple, Tianemen sq., the Forbidden Palace, and the Great Wall. I enjoyed walking on these ancient grounds. It was easy to get lost in my recurring daydream of contemplating daily life in Imperial China. What was it like then, would I have been a peasant or a soldier, or of some higher rank in the Emperors court. Would I have been the Supreme Ruler? Probable not. I'd wonder how old I would have been when I died? Would I have had a wife, children? These type of thoughts would flow in and out of my consciousness as I strolled (camera ready) through ancient courtyards and stumbled on the same stone pathways as millions of people before me and now doubt, millions after.

Mostly, I was attentive to my camera. At times, I became fixed on getting that elusive “perfect shot”. These photos are rare (in my experience) and many a day can be consumed searching, waiting, and contriving an image that one believes to be worthy of the pursuit. Perhaps the quest is the exciting part, it keeps me coming back... like winning a decent hand at Black Jack. We're not likely to walk away from the table satisfied that we won a “good” hand and then move on to another game or take in a show. No, most of us will want to stay and play-on. We like to ride it out and see if we can get better as we go. For many of us, the taste of something like a pretty-good shot or a winning hand keeps us in the game. Luckliy for me, I'm not much of a casino gambler. Though I must admit, in life, learning to “Know when to Hold'em and when to Fold'em” is not an easy lesson learned.