(This will be my last blog for this travel series. See the end of this blog for where to read my blogs in the future.) I have been back in Canada for just a few days and the music touring has launched in full force. Only two full days at home after three months away is ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
A Canadian in Beijing
A Canadian in Beijing: Reverse Culture Shock
(This will be my last blog for this travel series. See the end of this blog for where to read my blogs in the future.) I have been back in Canada for just a few days and the music touring has launched in full force. Only two full days at home after three months away is ...A Canadian in Beijing: My Last Day in China
What did I do on my last day in China?
I bought chopsticks. What can you do in the face of reality? The reality was that I was leaving and the response was to soothe the pain of that reality with retail therapy. And, sad as it sounds, it worked. What's more, I took home ...A Canadian in Beijing: The Forbidden Tian'anmen
The Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square (situated right next to each other) are the two principal tourist destinations in Beijing. When people come to this city, they usually stop here for these two major sites and then take in The Great Wall before moving on to other ...A Canadian in Beijing: Performing at The 4th Annual Olympic Cultural Festival
About a month ago, I introduced you to my friend Chairman George, a performer and musician from Canada who tours his music in China once a year. (Well, at least once a year.) I met him in May and then we said goodbye. Fortunately, George came back at the end of June ...A Canadian in Beijing: Simatai, The Great Wall: Take 3
My sister and her fiance Steve arrived in Beijing on a Thursday afternoon and they hit the ground running. Before the sun had fully set, they had checked into their hotel, eaten a traditional hot pot meal and were in attendance at my last and final performance in Beijing. ...A Canadian in Beijing: Exposed Bellies For The Fellies
I'm writing this from Canada. I suppose I'm no longer technically a "Canadian in Beijing." Still, there are a few things I haven't yet had a chance to tell you about from my trip and so the next couple of posts will be slightly anachronistic. And then, I'll give you the ...A Canadian in Beijing: Peking Duck
Well, my trip is rounding to a close and there have been several things on my "to do before I leave" list. Eating Peking Duck is not one of them, however, but here I am poised to write about it. No, I didn't eat any. Yes, I watched it get eaten. I heard the exclamations. I ...A Canadian in Beijing: Accessibility? If You Roll When You Stroll, ???
[?? ? Troublesome, Inconvenient, Bother!] I've been here for almost three months now (well, eleven weeks to be precise!) and I've been collecting images and information about accessibility in Beijing throughout my time. By this, I mean I've been looking around at the ...A Canadian in Beijing: Food is Free at KTV
I know that I already posted about the inevitability of karaoke here in China. What I haven't told you about yet is the amazing KTV phenomenon. Here in Beijing, there are several locations of KTV, or "Partyworld" as it's also called, where people come to sing karaoke as a ...A Canadian in Beijing: Vegan Mandarin Language Survival Guide
When I first arrived in China, I wrote a post entitled: "Vegan in China, Part 1." It was pretty negative all around. Why? Because I was hungry! About half-way through my trip, I followed that post up with a piece about the presence of an active vegetarian and vegan ...A Canadian in Beijing: The Great Baozi, A Tribute
I have put on weight in the past month, partly due to almost zero working out (too hot, too polluted, too much else to distract me) and partly due to my discovery of the amazing food known as "baozi" ??. Yum. Now, I'm generally not a big person and I was honestly worried ...A Canadian in Beijing: Smooth Summer Night
As I walked back from the subway tonight in the clinging heat, I felt like I was floating. No, perhaps "coasting" is a better word. My legs were like rudders guiding my upper body smoothly and wordlessly through a thick, heavy sea of humidity. I watched the late evening ...A Canadian in Beijing: The National Bird of China
Is the crane. Since arriving here, I have been amazed by the constant construction. I know that Beijing is preparing for the Olympics next summer and so is busily creating the Olympic village and other related sites, but it is not just about the Olympics. There is ...A Canadian in Beijing: Going Postal at Exam Time
I have been studying constantly since the weekend. Who knew that studying could take up so much time?! Well, I suppose the really good students in this program know, but I have been enjoying my life here and riding the smooth ride of a course that doesn't quiz or test ...A Canadian in Beijing: FOR SALE! Live Animals (Trapped) in Small Cages
Walking along the sidewalk here in Wudaokou in the late afternoon and evening is not a passive exercise. The sidewalk markets take a wide space and transform it into a narrow, colourful corridor as vendors roll out their ware on square pieces of fabric on both sides and ...A Canadian in Beijing: "Made In China" Electronics
I am exhausted. I have just spent an afternoon – yes, a whole afternoon – electronics shopping here in Beijing. Now, that does not mean what you think it means. I am not talking about going from store to store and price comparing or from mall to mall to seek ...A Canadian in Beijing: Lost in the Market and Laughing
With a rickety gate marking one of the main entrances, the market spills out on both sides. There are stalls of all shapes and sizes featuring all kinds of items whose colours cascade down tiered bins and flowing displays. All of the visual action splashes into my senses. ...A Canadian in Beijing: Laoshe Cha Guan (Laoshe Teahouse)
Tea is important in China. It has been part of China's cultural legacy for centuries. Even the word "tea" originally comes from the word "te" in Fuzhou Hua (the Chinese dialect in Fuzhou Province). In Mandarin, the word for tea is "cha" ? (same character) and many other ...A Canadian in Beijing: Fine Dining at Din Tai Fung
Sometimes you have to see what all the fuss is about. This restaurant, "Din Tai Fung," is touted as being one of the "top ten restaurants in the world" and if people are saying that about it then I figure it had better be good. Of course, it could just have a good ...A Canadian in Beijing: Shannon's Wings
Today is the one-year anniversary of my friend's death. One year ago today my friend committed suicide and I had never before lost a loved one to the concept of choice. It was shocking, to say the least, and I struggled hard to work through the meanings, the messages, the ...
