Most
images on this blog are hosted by
ImageShack® who seem to be having many problems. Sorry if any pictures are missing. I'm working on moving them somewhere more reliable.
More information is coming to light about the traffic accident yesterday in which ten people died. All the dead and injured were passengers in the van which collided head on with a coach. No one on the bus was injured.
The whole country is paralysed by the worst weather in 50+ years. Half a million people trapped in one railway station. Millions more elsewhere.
But don't worry. The Premier, Wen Jiabao has it all sorted.
I’m sorry to go on about this, but it is cold. I’m told that this is Guangxi’s coldest winter since 1951. I wasn’t around then. I didn’t exist. So I have to believe them.
I'm often asked, by both Chinese people and by other laowai, why I have stayed in China so long. I rarely give the correct answer. I claim that I am waiting for the statute of limitations to run out or some other joke answer, but now I can reveal the
At the weekend, I went off for a trip into the wilds of north Guangxi. It was a pretty boring business trip, but the worst thing was the freezing cold! Too cold to take any pictures! Can someone please invent a heated camera!
I have, on occasion, been described as ?negative?. A scandalous libel! I am merely healthily cynical. And, only occasionally, something occurs which fails to justify my cynicism (for a moment or two). I then smile happily (for a moment or two).
One thing I forgot to mention in my recollections of my recent travel was the astonishing liquid accompaniment to what the British Airways staff jokingly referred to as "a meal".
Only minutes after informing you that I had been mistaken in my duck acquisition techniques, I stumble across the awful truth that I’ve also been catching my fish incorrectly, too!
What is it with travel journalists? Here we are in the third biggest country in the world and every journalist on the planet seems to vist the same four over exposed tourist traps! Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Guilin. There's nothing wrong with those
Well, as I mentioned before, I took a trip north to my old stalking grounds in West Hunan. I lived there ten years ago and this was my first trip back.
My ultimate destination was the remote town of Yuanling. Getting there involves an 8 hour ove
I'm off travelling. A short trip north to the neighbouring province of Hunan, where I lived 10 years ago. Looking forward to seeing old friends and eating the wonderful food!
However!
For the last few weeks, I have been a nervous wreck, virtually unable to function. What has reduced me to such a state? I had to renew my passport!
You would think this would be relatively painless. Not so.
In another step on the march to socialism, Liuzhou's Bus Co. did the unthinkable and raised the bus fares on Wednesday, 1st March. Prior to that, 99% of Liuzhou buses took you wherever you desired at a flat rate of ¥1 (7 pence UK, 12 cents US). Now
Yesterday, I did something rather rash. I know it's a bad habit, but where would we be if we didn't occasionally do something wild and crazy? It's not something I do often and I'm sure it's not habit forming.In a moment of madness, I decided to take