Three thousand steps from home

After finishing moving and unpacking the boxes, I took a short walk outside the new area — on the edge of Tangzhen (唐镇) and Heqing (合庆). And I need to sometimes remind myself of what an adventure this life is, having grown up in a small city in the Netherlands to now live in China […]

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The dark outdoor air

I think it was a talk from Simon Aliband on how he arrived in Shanghai in the 80s, on a summer night sitting in a bus driving to his university dorms, through the dark city. After sunset, the people of Shanghai would leave their houses to cool down in the dark outdoor air, and he […]

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Shandong couple

I ordered a moving van (货啦啦) and a couple from Shandong showed up. Because these drivers spend the full day in the van, I figured she was just accompanying her husband for his work, to be together the whole day. But then she explained his back is bad. So the guy helped with things like […]

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Pancakes at the crossroads

It’s Saturday night and I just threw away the garbage because the shushu leaves at eight and takes the bins with him. I cross the bridge next to our compound and on the crossroads are five or six food stands. They sell fried chunks of meat, cold noodles, jianbing, corn sticks, and cold draft beer. […]

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Vendors in the rain

Old place. New camera. This is yet another visit (1, 2) to this market where we buy vegetables, fruit, and meat (川沙十八铺农产品批发市场) in Chuansha, Shanghai. I am not sure how many years we will remain in China, maybe one, maybe ten. But I want to capture this place once more before we go back.  

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Socks

Our cleaning lady: “I also clean in another office, they make socks. I always ask them for some socks. I have so many of them at home, I also gave some to the neighbours. I also got some for you, large size, you have big feet. Take them!” Me: “But so many, I don’t need […]

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A candle in Auckland

During every holiday trip, my mom and dad will light a candle in some church they encounter. A few days ago, they lit a candle in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Auckland, New Zealand. To be grateful for our family and everything we have. So why a church? It’s hard to say how religious they (or […]

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Learning Vietnam

My parents usually buy a travel book or borrow one from the library, but I typically read up on Reddit and Google. While Google is all ‘pristine white beaches’, Reddit had me kinda pessimistic about going to Vietnam. Beaches were supposed be littered in plastic, some villages full of Korean or Russian tourists, and traffic […]

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Towards the light

We depart from Los Angeles for a five-hour drive. The desert we’re crossing slowly turns to night — and as we near the city, the glow from Las Vegas draws out the silhouette of the mountains in front of it. We’re driving underneath the stars and among other cars, and it feels like we’re going […]

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Fresh market

I usually shop at the supermarket, everything wrapped with shiny logos or labels. But Eva likes the market — and I’ll agree with her, it doesn’t get fresher than this. Chuansha (川沙十八铺农产品批发市场).

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