Bit of a Twitter crossroad today, a walk with Dan to 白林寺 in Yangpu after a tip from Ash. The place has an interesting name, because “White Forest Temple” isn’t a temple, but rather a remnant of the Japanese textile industry in Yangpu, Shanghai. Built in the 1920s, it was probably named after a temple […]
Understanding China (or actually; how not to misunderstand it)
In 2017 I decided I wanted to move to China and I started to prepare myself, trying to understand the culture and market. I had nobody to really guide me, so I read books from several categories; Online media on how to do marketing in China. Most of these books were kinda nonsense that didn’t […]
These tiny three-wheeled cars have become increasingly common in the last few years in Shanghai, but they also receive scorn. People in our xiaoqu complain they park in stupid places and block the road, or occupy parking spots for cars while they’re not paying any parking fees. They’re named 残疾车 (vehicle for people with disabilities) […]
Another trip to Laoximen today. The area of old Shanghai is under demolishment, and although it’s been a slow process of already five years now, some parts are already gone, others vacated, while other parts still have people living in them. The longer the demolition goes on, the less meaning Laoximen has — apart from […]
(This was my speech at GoEast‘s 10th anniversary, Saturday 22 October in Shanghai.) So if you are a bit like me you probably brush your teeth every day. Twice a day, maybe thrice. And the thing with brushing my teeth is, I don’t particularly like it. I don’t hate it either, I just do it […]
Yesterday on foot, today on wheels (still in Ninghai 宁海). First time using an electric sharing scooter. Works perfectly (but I think a ‘sharing helmet’ is a bit dirty). 10 RMB for an hour. It actually suddenly stopped. The scooter started speaking, and I got an automated call on my phone as well: “You’ve driven […]
I’m reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time and today in Ninghai (宁海) I felt much like Frodo (I’m even wearing a khotan jade ring (田玉) from Xi’an, albeit with a different purpose. Ninghai (宁海) is a small city in Zhejiang (not to be confused by Haining (海宁) in the same province), […]
Yeah covid dominates all the conversations in Shanghai, so I wanted to share about a park near where I live that re-opened after a long renovation. It’s beautiful and packed with happy people, but when I was about to leave all the gates were suddenly closed and nobody allowed in. 10:30 (AM) on a Thursday. […]
It’s alright. The beginning is slow and boring, the language so exaggerated that often it’s just cringy. the story doesn’t go anywhere (and when it does, you could see it coming from chapters before), and I almost gave up reading this. But either the author got into a rhythm, or I did, or the story […]
