Beijing

I was a little uninspired by these photographs, but I finally got round to putting them up on flickr.

Beijing is an amazing city, with so much to see. Our four day whirlwind tour of the city didn't do it justice, but we managed to tick off the major attractions so we'll have more time on our next trip! Yup, planning it already - fingers crossed we'll be able to make it for the 2008 Olympics.

I worry at how much we'll recognise of Beijing in a year's time. Huge swathes of the city are being torn up and rebuilt in all of China's glory. The main historical sights are meticulously preserved - but anything else is just swept underfoot. One of the few remaining hutongs that we manaed to visit, only survies now because it surrounds the Forbidden City.

We opted for an organised tour - which, in retrospect, was the lazy way out. The food was a little shabby and catered for the western pallette. After living out here for a half year - we know our baozi from our sweet and sour pork :)

The Forbidden City and The Great Wall really stand out as amazing experiences. Even the most apathetic of travellers could not fail to be impressed.

Another city ticked off the list :)

Oh - and never again will I comlain about the traffic on the M25!

Badminton

What is it about Asians that makes them so damn good at everything??

Gweilo by Martin Booth

Gweilo: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth was his last book, writen on the encouragement of his family, after he was diagnosed with cancer. He died, shortly after it was published in 2004.

Gweilo is a wonderfully rich, recount of the three short years that spanned the Booth family's first posting in Britain's far flung colony in the East. (They were to end up returning to Hong Kong not long after they left). Martin was only 7 when he first arrived to Hong Kong in the 1950's. Playing in the streets of Kowloon and the trails around the Peak, colonial Hong Kong was a treause trove for a young gweilo boy with an inquisitive mind and inquisitive feet.

What made this book for me, was that Martin Booth took after Joyce, his mother, and embraced Hong Kong's culture, people, and language. They loved Hong Kong and grew to call it home. They experienced something that few foreigners ever will and they lived in Hong Kong during a time that is all but gone.

Highly recommened for anyone who is looking to be charmed by the Pearl of the Orient.

Thanks for the recommendation Anthony!

Lazy Weekend No 18 - Living the Life

Friday night at the Punchline club - some imported acts from old blighty (Curtis Walker and Tim Clark) and Canadia (Tom Stade) were headlining. David Bowie said of Curtis Walker, "One of the funiest guys in Britain" - and well deserved!

I'd never seen so many Brits in one room before - we all shared some laughs; some pints and some astute observations on expats in Hong Kong. The phrase "living the life" was used more than once - and I guess we are...

Out here the Chinese are polite and couteous (even if they keep trying to sell you suits). Other Brits are *friendly* and *approachable* - sure, maybe less so than in Shanghai, but it beats trying not to get bottled in The Kings Arms on a Thursday night. The city is clean; the MTR works and you don't get knifed taking money out of a cash point.

The weather is turning decidely dodgy these days: hinting at a tumultuous summer of typhoons, sweat inducing humidity and sticky heat.

I'm also reliably informed that it is cochroach mating season.