Things have achieved a modicum of normality here. I have topped up my cafeteria card (and used it), and I have had a mini-reunion with some teachers from last year. When I went to Qianmen last week, the student I was with suggested I try some traditional Beijing snacks, so he bought several different ones …
Category: Beijing
Qianmen 前门
Yesterday, it rained. And kept on raining. It was raining when I woke up, and rained all day until after I went to bed. It cooled things down, at least, and although it was rain, it wasn’t particularly cold, as I found out when I went to get some fruit in the morning, and got …
#For the win
I'm not the most practical of people. I try, yes, but sometimes I get frustrated. Being in China, when things don't work it's doubly frustrating as (often) instructions – and help – require a level of Chinese I do not yet have. Yet occasionally, when things do go right, you can feel proud and pleased. …
The small things
I made it back to Beijing on Sunday, 20 August, in one piece. There was no calamity, no catastrophe. It went well coming back. I arrived at about 05:30, and went through customs very quickly. I collected my luggage, got on the first airport express train and made it to the campus for my new …
Leaving… and returning
Finishing up the school year often fills me and my colleagues with a certain level of dread. Not because we don't want to have a holiday, or because we don't know how to spend our free time, but because of paperwork. If we are staying in China for another year, then we have to get …
Winter holidays 3 – Hong Kong (Part 4)
And so it ends. The following morning I made my way to the airport and to my flight back to Beijing. My trip back to Beijing was uneventful and I arrived back to find the water shut off in my flat (it was quickly turned back on). Overall I have to say my holiday was …
Winter holidays 3 – Hong Kong (Part 3)
The final (full) day in Hong Kong. Today I decided to visit a heritage trail in the New Territories, away from the busy and touristy areas. It was something I'd seen in my guide book, but I didn't really know what to expect. To be honest, it was a little disappointing. It was not well …
