Category Archives: Beijing 2013

Mirinda’s work trip to China turned into an amazing holiday for us both though I did suffer a bit of culture shock along the way.

Heading for China

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Gary

Yesterday, a certain person left her eReader at the flat. So another certain person was put onto eReader purchase duty today. I’d planned to go into town, anyway (the cab wasn’t due until 1:30pm) so it was just something else … Continue reading →

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The Emperor

Posted on October 26, 2013 by Gary

Our hotel in Beijing doesn’t have room numbers. Instead, each room is named after a Chinese emperor. We are in the Shun Zhi room, very nicely on the ground floor. Very nicely, because there’s no lift in this four storey … Continue reading →

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Without food, there’s nothing

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Gary

We are often amazed at how excited the dogs are when they visit somewhere new. Their noses are assaulted by all manner of new smells. By the time we get back home, they collapse with exhaustion. I think we now … Continue reading →

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(Not such a) Perfect Day

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Gary

It was with great sadness that I read of the death of Lou Reed first thing this morning. A massive part of my growing up. Taught me everything I needed to know about the seedier side of New York, drug … Continue reading →

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Hope Dinner 2013

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Gary

Well, it seems that my blog has now, mysteriously, become inaccessible. I was sure I didn’t say anything too controversial about the Chinese but, who knows…I can’t actually access it to find out. I am reduced to writing in Word … Continue reading →

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Climbing the walls

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Gary

Mao said “He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man!” I can now state, categorically, that, finally, at the grand old age I am turning next week, I am a true man. Last night, before … Continue reading →

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Re-writing history

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Gary

And then, as if by magic, I could once more access my blog. I very quickly updated it… Each day, at the Emperor Hotel, we are handed a slip of paper with the weather report on it for the next … Continue reading →

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Trains and dinosaurs

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Gary

Mirinda and Sarah left the hotel for a work thing and I set off for the Beijing Police Museum. Funny thing is, I never found it. Most things in Beijing that aren’t huge tourist things, are not signposted in English … Continue reading →

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祝你生日快乐

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Gary

The one thing that we all know about as undeniably Chinese is Peking Duck. Clearly, not everyone has tried it but the majority of people would have heard of it. And, by the way, the word ‘Peking’ is the Cantonese … Continue reading →

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Now that was odd…

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Gary

The photograph I took of the remains of my duck has somehow appeared on one of the hotel TV screens in the lobby. No text, just the image. It looks quite weird. I have no idea why or how they … Continue reading →

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