During the first few days of the Urumqi riots, stories of beatings, killings, brutal knifings and explosions dominated the gossip circles in Xinjiang. So gruesome were these stories that one could only wish that they were fabrications, although sad pictures in the local press confirmed the contrary. Occasionally, however, a story would find its way through the community* that would be a reminder that hatred is the characteristic of individuals, not ethnic groups.

The road stretching from the south gate all the way to the Urumqi International Bazaar, a predominantly Uyghur neighborhood, was blocked by scores of armed military guards, tire spikes, and police tape. This road, usually overcrowded by vehicle and pedestrian traffic, was now lifeless and the Bazaar itself had been set up as a temporary headquarters for a large battalion of well-equipped soldiers. A few blocks to the north, People’s Square had been completely cordoned off hiding a lonely piece of open space that had served as the …

Due to the fact that the internet here in Xinjiang has been cut for several weeks I’ve had plenty of free time to soak in all the stories I’ve heard, process what has happened, and do my own research on the subject of unrest in Xinjiang. During this time I’ve also been able to witness the physical changes that have been happening as a result of the July riots in Urumqi. Here are just a few examples from my small city 4 hours north of Urumqi:

The south side of Urumqi (a.k.a. Wulumuqi or 乌鲁木齐) has a much different flavor than the north. Down here you’ll find the mosque, markets, and this – the International Bazaar. It’s a must-see for any person who can’t see any other part of Xinjiang besides its capital. Here you’ll be able to buy rugs, knives, instruments, hats…you name it. You’ll probably get ripped off, but that’s beside the point.

Today, a bomb was detonated in an office building in the capital city of Urumqi at about 2:10pm.  Initial police reports reveal that the explosion killed the man who was carrying the bomb while injuring two others in the building.

A guide to taking a train in Urumqi and what to expect when you’re traveling in Xinjiang

File this under “Headlines You’ll Only See in Xinjiang”. From the China Daily:

“Police shot a rampaging bull on a middle school campus Thursday in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.”

Hey everybody! It’s been a while since we’ve given you a more personal update of our lives here in China, so here we go:

Although school has been out for a while in America now, we’re just now coming to a close here in China. We gave our final tests the past two weeks and now the kids are taking all the rest of their finals before school officially ends at the end of this week. This semester flew by pretty fast!
We are now officially the only Americans …

Just last weekend we made a quick visit to the capital city of Urumqi. It’s not something that we normally do because, quite frankly, we’ve never enjoyed that city. In the past it has sometimes felt like taking a trip to the state dump – and paying good money to do so! It is known all over this province as the dirtiest, most crowded city and we think that’s a modest description. Up until this point we’ve avoided traveling to Urumqi unless: 1) we need to …

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope that all of you were able to enjoy the holiday with family – eating turkey, watching football, taking a nap, etc., etc.. This year we actually celebrated Thanksgiving on a Wednesday night together with the Edminsons and our new friend Elane, another foreign teacher from another city who can be seen on the right. Tiff did pretty much the most amazing job preparing for this meal which including a fruit salad, a cabbage salad, stuffing, and – catch this – homemade bread …