Monthly Archives: October 2013

Re-writing history

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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Climbing the walls

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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Hope Dinner 2013

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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(Not such a) Perfect Day

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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Without food, there’s nothing

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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The Emperor

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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Heading for China

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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Day-z at the wheel

Last week I wrote a letter to the paper, complaining about the cars we saw while walking around the ‘car free’ Devil’s Punchbowl. I wasn’t sarcastic or too grumpy, I simply told it like it was. I finished off by … Continue reading

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Builders two

This afternoon, I was just about to take the poodles to the park when there was a knock at the door. It was Frank, a young chap who had been working down the street, trimming trees and hedges. He’d finished … Continue reading

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Spitting

Tonight, just as Nicktor and I left the Albion after a lovely dinner and couple of pints, the heavens opened up and showered us in very heavy rain. There was thunder, lightning and torrential, very unEnglish rain. We managed to … Continue reading

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