After attending the world’s biggest tech event, it’s nice to go to a place without any cell phone signal: Calico Basin of the Red Rock Canyon, near Las Vegas. ‘No cell phone signal’ isn’t a metaphor or anything. Having my Uber drop me off here wasn’t an issue, but when I finished the trail, I […]
Outside the office, we see lots of people walking with big boxes of toys and go to see what’s happening. Three ‘cowboys’ are standing next to a pile of stuff like fake Legos, Barbies, and bikes, yelling if you register for a free creditcard you can pick a box, even a bike! Lots of people […]
We’re walking at the quay and a single bird is hopping around, a Chinese starling. Eva, gnawing on a corn cob, throws a kernel, but the bird doesn’t bite. An old man behind us says: “She won’t eat that.” We’re all like “Ah, how do you know?”, and the man replies “She’s my pet, I […]
I’m pretty sure there are more fake Dutch windmills in China than there are real windmills in the Netherlands. Some photos that I can quickly find in my photo album: Shanghai, Shandong, Shanghai.
Just watched “Farewell My Concubine” (霸王别姬). It’s not really a love drama, nor a historical film. It touches on several genres (It’s even a coming-of-age movie). It’s just incredibly poetic, and right away, I just want to watch it again from start to finish. What a masterpiece from 1993.
This is my first time in the United States. It’s just a business trip and we don’t really go anywhere, but I’m super excited. Despite being from the Netherlands, I’ve grown up with the USA around me. Movies, TV series, music, brands, video games. Names of states and cities that I’ve never been to feel […]
Apart from Huangshan, I’ve never heard anyone say they’re going on a holiday in Anhui. I often hear Chongqing, Changsha, Qingdao, Beijing, Sanya, and the nearby province of Zhejiang is popular for people in Shanghai — but never in five years has anyone said Anhui. All I hear about Anhui is that it’s poor. If […]
Shanghai often feels to me like a GTA map or Azeroth: Massive with distinct areas and yet so many tiny places and sidequests to explore. Today I went on a sidequest, to see the site of China’s first rocket launch. (Thanks to Historic Pudong for the tip.) On the site now stands a pillar, with […]
This month I rewatched the original three Indiana Jones movies — which was a blast, as even today these movies are timeless thrills. I do vaguely remember seeing these movies as a kid, as the holy grail face-melting & eating from monkey skulls left deep imprints in my memory. Archeology was a fascination. Not just […]
Two weeks in the Netherlands. We’re not that known for any 美食 (great food), and compared to Chinese food I’m sure it looks crude, but for me, it’s all real comfort food: 1. Real bread and real cheese 👌 2. Battered chunks of fish and tartar, and 3. My mom’s tomato soup 4. Fries with […]