Autumn Tigers

This first day has mostly been concerned with the sorting out of various technical details such as choosing the best loudspeakers for the sound installation and sorting out internet access for my hotel apartment.

On this visit I am based in the centre of the yuzhong district, of which its London equivalent would probably be Piccadilly Circus/Oxford Street. Needless to say, the area is awash with sound, but not just from shoppers and motor vehicles. Almost everywhere you look there is major development in operation - pavements are being resurfaced, buildings are being built and even a new subway entrance appears to be being dug out. And, these sounds literally surround those walking around the city centre - from the splitting of stones at foot level to the cicada-type sound of a pneumatic drill appearing to emanate from the top of a skyscraper.

l was told that the weather has been rather cool lately (by Chinese standards) and from today it is expected to get hotter. Apparently, mini hot seasons of 10-12 days at the end of the summer are not uncommon and are referred to as 'autumn tigers'.