We decided to go over to Dubai for the day to see the Spice Souk, the tallest building in the world and the old city. It’s only a couple of hours from Abu Dhabi and the roads are huge. It always amazes me that human beings can built such magnificent structures as these skyscrapers. We… Read More »
I’ve come on a long flight to see some old Nanjing friends who now live in Abu Dhabi. I hadn’t had much sleep but I managed to stay awake enough to go down to the coast to see the small planes flying ridiculously fast between beacons. The whole place is new and sparkly and clean… Read More »
It may be the most exciting time of year for Chinese people but for foreigners in China it’s akin to being Muslim in the UK at Christmas. I hate it – everything is closed, people have gone back to the villages and my mates have gone to exotic places leaving me alone. However after 4… Read More »
They say you only see a place properly when you go and return. This was the case with Nanjing. I had not been there for about 6 months and had lived there for over 4 years and when I returned it felt like putting on an old pair of slippers. Of course 6 months is… Read More »
I am very strict about heads on tables in my lessons. I know some other teachers have a more relaxed attitude but in my classes if their blink is even slightly longer than normal, they get a wake up call and if they persist in drooping they get to stand up and we open the… Read More »
You all know that I live in squalor in the heart of the French Concession – compared to most foreigners in Shanghai anyway. If it wasn’t for the location I would look for something with fewer rats and cockroaches but hey, location is everything so they say. However, since the winter has set in I… Read More »
I returned home yesterday to my squalid apartment to find a slip of paper wedged in the door. It didn’t look like a bill – didn’t have any amount on it – but I couldn’t work out what it was for. There was only Chinese on it. I decided to take it to the evening… Read More »
Keith told me I should try a capsule hotel while I was in Japan so for my last night in Fukuoka I booked a cabin in First Cabin Hakata. It took a while to find as it is on the 8th floor of a shopping centre. It’s a strange place and reminded me a little… Read More »
I was in the subway system in Fukuoka today waiting for the train with a few other people. Apart from gentle classical music playing through the PA system peace was all around me. Suddenly I couldn’t believe my eyes – there along the platform was a piece of litter – a yellow sweet wrapper. I… Read More »
Predictably I missed by train at Hakata. I thought the number 16 printed on my ticket was the platform. Not wanting to wait for the next train for which my ticket was valid I hopped on a bullet train bound for Osaka. To avoid unwanted attention from ticket inspectors I quickly sat down in the… Read More »