I actually like moving. Yeah, it’s a bit of trouble, but you get a whole new neighborhood to explore. New roads to cycle, new shops to search for stuff on the shelf, and new restaurants with new dishes to try. Just by physically moving all your stuff (and throwing away maybe 20% each time), everything […]
China
Searching for an apartment in Shanghai
A two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai for 3,400 RMB per month (472 USD), yeah it’s possible. A search through several apps, then a broker, then a pasted poster and haggling. I started our search on 自如 which has neatly furnished apartments, but they’re upwards of 5,000 RMB (if you include the service fee). On the 贝壳 […]
Fengxian District
Again to Fengxian (奉贤区) today. It’s part of Shanghai, but maybe the fact it doesn’t feel that way is the best part about it. So in love with this place. I know my obsession won’t last, but there’s so much to explore. The museum bundles a lot of places we’ve already visited. There’s an exhibition […]
My Chinese learning journey
In the summer of 2018, I moved to Shanghai and back then I only planned to stay maybe two years in China, so I didn’t consider it necessary to learn Chinese. In Shanghai, it’s OK to get by without speaking Mandarin. You either point at pictures or show the translated sentence on your phone. For […]
Bike radius on the map
To Qingxi Ancient Town (青溪古镇) in Shanghai’s Fengxian District and back again, in total an eighty kilometers bike ride. I just randomly picked this on the map. It’s not a famous destination or anything, but that in itself is also relaxing. Apart from walking around, having a look, and some food, I’m expecting that much. […]
Saturday stroll in Shanghai
The Little Peach Garden Mosque (小桃园清真寺), and the one for women (清真女寺) next to it. They’re operating but just closed when we got there. The back entrance. Nanjing East Road. It’s been over two years since I last came here. These scratch-off lottery tickets seem more popular as of late. I think most people know […]
A printer for the community
A bit underwhelming and this won’t get any ‘tech media coverage’ (I wrote about this before), but I just printed a document (in color) for 2 RMB by scanning & transferring & paying with my phone through WeChat. In the middle of a xiaoqu in Suzhou, with around 8,000 people living here, I think.
A church in Anhui
My parents never forced us to believe, and if they ever told us stories from the bible I don’t remember it. But we did have to go to church. No devotion was demanded of our minds, it was just our bodies that had to be there. We were all three baptized; my sister, brother and […]
In between mountains
Kantou Village (坎头古村落) lies in between a range of mountains in Anhui. Some guides speak of a mysterious and hidden village, but it is a popular destination for tourists — especially people riding bicycles and motorbikes. Kids playing in a litter. The village is pretty, but the best view is provided by a nearby hill. […]
Cold water
I still remember Tommy and Øyvind, at least their names. My brother and I were dipping our toes into Norwegian meltwater and decided it was too cold to go in, then those two local boys showed up and jumped in without even testing the water, Øyvind wearing yellow swim fins. When we saw them we […]