Chinglish II: Forbidden to Wear a Life-Jacket on the Boat
click on the image and its much more readable ‘Chinglish’: the laughably bad Chinese > English translations you find all over China. There are also many examples in neighbouring countries […]
Dinner at Your Own Risk: Chengdu, Sichuan Province, SW China
So Rui shows up with her sister Xiao Xiao and after introductions they take me out to a local restaurant to sample the legendary Chengdu hot pot or ‘Huo Guo’. […]
Three Months in Swindon: A Chinese Adventure in the UK
So I’m chatting to my friend Zhen Lei Wei aka Eric, when he mentions that he’s been over to the UK. “Oh really,” I reply with interest “Where did you […]
Ten Seconds of Mayhem: Wudaokou Railway Crossing, Beijing China
The distinct shrill of the warning siren from the railway crossing resonates throughout the area so dropping a couple of gears I stand on the pedals and cycle as fast […]
My Local Supermarket: There is No Queue!
I’ve always hoped that one day I can take a friend who’s just arrived in China to my local underground Chaoshifa supermarket just to see the look on their face. […]
A Romantic Candlelit Dinner for One
A year or so before I met the wife, I briefly dated a girl called Anna Wei Yi. Though things were still in the early stages, all the signs […]
The Beginning of Winter, Beijing 2015: Knickers in the Wind
One of the good things about going it alone is that you can stop and make notes in your own time. These are observations that have been sitting in my […]
First Driving Experience in China: From Excitement to a State of Shock
This is a draft from Chapter 4 of my second book (Cross China Road Trip). I am open to any suggestions including editorial ones. Illustrations will be omitted when the […]
Beijing Red Alert Pollution Warning: Praying for Blue Skies
Yes it’s official. The authorities have issued a ‘red warning’ to Beijing that pollution levels are going to reach dangerous levels. For once the kindergarten opposite is quiet. All schools […]
Rubbish & Recycling: China’s attitude to litter throwing: Xiamen, Fujian Province, SE China
It’s the first day of my holiday in Xiamen. Set on the East Coast of the Fujian Province, this coastal city is a well-known holiday resort having a steady influx […]
TOURISM & PHOTOGRAPHY: ARE YOU A TWAF ?
Definition: /twæf/ Noun (countable): abbr ‘taking without asking first’. A twaf, some twafs: meaning someone who takes photos of another without asking for permission or consent. Normally used as a […]
Don’t Stand Next to the River-Side Tower: Nantong, Jiangsu Province, SE China
In June, now going up the wall for something interesting to do or for going somewhere, I hit the road again to the city of Nantong in the Jiangsu province. […]
Chinglish
Hello and welcome to the amazing world of Chinglish; the laughably bad Chinese – English translations you find all over China. There are also many examples in neighbouring countries but […]
Looking for Furniture with Officer Zhang: Yangshuo: Guangxi Autonomous Region, S China
10am and the phone rings “Andy, its Jason. I am outside and we have a bed for you. Are you still asleep?” Mercy! I mean I hit the sack in […]
Chinese Hospitality
One of the first things you notice when setting foot on Chinese soil for the first time is the incredible hospitality that you will be shown from the word go. […]
I Met Michael Gao. An Amazing Tale of a Blind Man: Dunhua, Jilin Province, N China
I’ll never forget my trip to Dunhua in northern China in 2008. Some things really stick in my mind. Waiting to check in, the old faithful trolley bag was once […]
Just Turn Left 
You must be logged in to post a comment.