I moved to China in 2018 and have integrated pretty well, I think? But especially the 90s and 00s are a mystery to me, while my Chinese friends & colleagues did live through that period, grew up in it, shaped by it (as I was by the 90s and 00s in the Netherlands). It’s very […]

Cycled to Tongli and stopped by the ruins of an old bunker/tower. Built by the Japanese during WW2 to have a good look at the rail- and waterway. Inside the bunkers, someone graffitied the words 肾 (kidney) and 根治 (cure) — I’m not sure why, not even sure if it’s metaphorical in meaning or anything […]

Xinchang (新场) is Shanghai’s best old town. Second time there, back for some 蟹壳黄(Crab shell yellow). It’s hot, it’s packed, and shops are doing well — which is great to see.  

The Great Wall of Shanghai? Sort of. This is the Huating seawall (华亭海塘) in the Fengxian district of Shanghai. 3.9 kilometers of stones are left — built centuries ago to keep floods and Japanese pirates out. Actually, I’m not sure which stones are original. The history is fuzzy and long; different segments built by different […]

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 […]

I recently got a Garmin watch (Nevu 2 if you’re wondering). It’s just a piece of tech, but feels like a lot more, because my brother also uses it in the Netherlands. This way we can sort of sport together. (He mostly runs, I mostly cycle.) Actually, Garmin/Strava are one of the few apps both […]

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 […]

The playing, the rider, and the painted (Songjiang today). I’ve sinned a bit. 4A and 5A tourist attractions in China are horrible, but we did go to Guangfulin Relics Park (广富林遗址) today, which classifies as 4A. It was good though. Lots of old buildings on the huge premise, most if not all reproductions & a […]

Wednesday 2nd of August Evening ride in Pudong (向阳村). There’s a nice breeze alongside the Yangtze, and people are watching fireworks, fishing, snacking, chatting — being together. Friday 4th of August Back today, really love this place. We all come to watch the river. No matter how much money you make, which car you drive, […]

Every hike is its own little story. Today, Luyu Ancient Road (陆羽古道) in Huzhou (湖州) with friends & ten thousand mosquitoes. A two-hour drive from Shanghai and you’re in a totally different scenery. (Two hours back and you’re surrounded by glass, concrete & coffee stores again.) We only took the 6KM trail but with a […]

We went to see 长安三万里 (Chang’An), a movie about Li Bai and other poets, as well as a part of Chinese history. The movie is a beautiful animation though I’m not sure who it’s made for. I guess the cartoonish looks made many parents believe this is for kids, but the dialogue, story & three-hour […]

Songxicun (嵩溪村) today, with buildings from different centuries. Lots of history here, but we didn’t really study all the plaques or Baidu, we just had a quiet day in between the rain showers. Amazing woodwork here in this temple. No visitors around, just corn left to dry. The village has two creeks coming together, one […]