I discovered a Telegram group for young anthropologists.
Rushed to write my article about the clowns from my master's thesis.
Also deadline-rush-writing the article, the whole day. Horrible.
What can I systematically observe about the construction site?
Reading Bernard Hours - 2023 and Sylvaine Conord - 2000
Crossing the border by boat (around two hours total including customs time).
I rested on the Black Dragon / Amur riverbanks. People took pictures of and with me. The only thing I could say was "I'm French" in Chinese with bad intonation.
An old man stepped out of the water. He had been swimming along the river's flow.
Took a taxi to the hotel. Prices are much higher than in Russia, and I have my own room. Not ideal to be alone. I'll need to figure out another kind of living.
Went to a barbecue restaurant. It was great. Pictures were taken of me.
I walked around the city, trying to get familiar with its forms and rhythms, feeling it. I don't know how to say... Just receiving the information the city gives to its pedestrians, observing what people do or don't. I'm probably just doing something This guy talks about and tries to teach his students in this article, I guess. Taking notes, formulating questions, and setting mini goals like side quests (how do I rent a city bike? What do they sell in this store? What's this guy doing? Oh, a thing I don't understand, what is it? Oh, a thing that could probably be a lead for my research topic. What clothes are they wearing for this weather, how do they get around the city, what are these noises, those smells, what do they eat and drink, do they smoke, and where, where are the homeless people, do people cross the street at the red light, how do people pay, how do pedestrians look at each other, etc...)
Stopped by another barbecue place. A young girl asked for my order in English. Pictures were taken.
Porn sites are blocked. YouTube blocked. Instagram blocked. And if not blocked, European websites are slow or deny access.
Spent the day at the hotel, working on the computer. Organizing bibliography, transferring pictures, writing.
If humans produce society to live, how do Russians and Chinese produce their friendship, collaboration, cohabitation, relations, around the border? And on a national and global scale?
Today I went to Qiqihar by train and witnessed the "Druzhba" event: Russians swim to the Chinese banks, and vice versa.
Druzhba event (on the Chinese side): Russians arrive, swimming. They receive medals, and flowers. Chinese people look at them. During this time, Chinese people take lots of pictures with me (they probably think they are posing with a Russian). Speeches are made in front of a big billboard (facing Russia, Chinese spectators can't see it). Images are produced. The path of the Russians to their bus is under police supervision. It feels like the event logistically prevents the mingling of the swimmers and spectators. For security? For time efficiency? Probably. But it might also block interaction time, like taking pictures shoulder to shoulder like I was asked to do, exchanging a few words, expressing something, social interactions in general (paradoxically with the intent of the event).
I went near the cable car construction site. They have barracks where it looks like workers are living.
Bus station. Food. Heihe train station. Slept in Beian train station waiting for the next train. Train to Qiqihar.
I met Van Bo at the train station exit. We went to the police station to report my presence. We cooked with his uncle at his place after grabbing food at the supermarket. Nap. Then I was introduced to pinyin, we watched a movie, and played a new video game called Wukong: Black Myth.
"Druzhba" event - 24th August 2024 - 50°14'59.9"N 127°31'38.0"E