Wanghong hell at floor 52 (out of 128). Taitai really wants to see this bookstore, but the reservation spots (all free) were already gone. So we pick a date next week, take a screenshot, and in Photoshop change the date to today, and mess a bit with the QR code so it’s unreadable. The guard […]
All the Chinese I encountered in two weeks in the Netherlands. 1. This is a Chinese store near my former high school, named after the Chinese city Wenzhou (温州). When I entered, the owner was calling (via WeChat) with his family in China and later we spoke about living in China and the Netherlands (he’s […]
Here we are, Pudong. I’m about to fly home to the Netherlands. First time seeing my parents, sister, and brother in almost four years. I couldn’t sleep last night, I’m so excited, but also sad it has taken this long. China has given me so much these four five years, but not long talks sitting […]
A 27-kilometer ride with Eva through Pudong. Shanghai has these places if you look for them, and if you choose to escape the massive city center. Finished with some sweet melons!
I’m going to meet a lot of family and friends in the Netherlands in June. I know they’ll all ask how China is, but I find it really hard to answer anything. “What is China like?” is impossible to answer. It’s such a big area, and actually, I’ve mainly only been in Shanghai and the […]
Seventy kilometers in your leg, the salt on your skin, cheap peanuts from a convenience store. Some of these things I don’t think AI can replace. The outdoor advertising here hits different than in the city. (Pretty sure CurtExplores was here before, we keep going to the same places despite never having met […]
We’re in a restaurant known for its fried potato chips/cookie things. (Oily but good!) One customer is having a jest with the owner. Both ladies of around the same age. The customer ordered a quarter of a chicken that comes served in chops, but shows her plate: “So much neck! There’s no meat on that! […]
A shushu grabs my bag, tries to stop me: “Where are you from?” I’ve no idea where this is going, but I say I’m from the Netherlands, to which the man replies: “Oh, bordering Germany and Belgium. 40,000 square kilometers.” I admit to him that don’t even know that last part. (Later I google it: […]
The city Haiyan (海盐: literally Sea Salt). Kids are playing in the mud, trying to catch tiny crabs, and fishers (men & women) are reeling in their nets.
32 degrees and the heat is soaked up by the stone roads and stone houses, and ultimately our bodies. It’s sweaty Shaoxing. We head to 八字桥 (Character Eight Bridge), because it looks like the character ‘Eight’ (八). Nearby is the St. Joseph’s Church (八字桥圣若瑟堂), built in 1871 but today mostly used for photos & basketball. […]