Worth Noting

It’s nothing special, but this seemed worth noting:

Just don’t look at the ‘Unique’ count!

11:04 am, November 17, 2008

Starbucks’ Beijing

Finding one’s way around a foreign place can be a rather daunting task and Beijing is no exception. In a country where, try as you might, it seems inexorably hard to pronounce the names of places let-alone read them, multi-lingual maps become a necessity.

Thankfully, the bastion of Western culture that is Starbucks stepped up, providing one of the most vital documents I possessed during my time in China:

P.S. In order to avoid the ensuing confusion, I am in Chicago this week. Merely revisiting old haunts…

3:41 pm, November 4, 2008

Enjoying Chicago

Last Monday, after much waiting, I finally jumped aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight and made my way over to the windy city of Chicago. It’s been a pretty turbulent week so far but, fortunately, one which has afforded me the opportunity to enjoy some of the fantastic sights the city has to offer and I’m certainly looking forward to the chance to celebrate a victory by a certain Illinois senator.

I’ll try to put together a complete photo album as-and-when I have time.

12:47 am, November 3, 2008

Filling In The Gaps

The past half a year has been an extremely busy time for me and, now that I am back in Britain for a short while, I have been trying to sort out a little. One thing I have been trying to address is the horrible mess in which my photos have found themselves.

While there are a couple of albums still remaining to be sorted, perhaps these few will help shed some light on what I have been up to during the last 8 months:

Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese Spring Festival, or New Year, falls towards the beginning of the Western year. Fortunately, for us, that was a week after the beginning of our assignment, giving us ample opportunity to take a look around:

The Great Wall

Visiting the Great Wall obviously forms part of the mandatory explorations in and around Beijing. If, however, you are foolish enough to go on a guided tour, you will be taken to Jade Factories, Cloisonne Factories and Chinese Medical Centres before finally reaching your intended destination:

Hong Kong

Not long after, visa woes mandated the first of many weekend trips to Hong Kong and other destinations:

Beijing Botanical Gardens

The Beijing Botanical Gardens are a fairly common destination for both foreigners and local tourists alike. If you manage to get through the crowds and traffic queues, they’re beautiful, especially in the blossoms of Spring:

Caves, Beijing

While I don’t remember the name of these caves, they provided for an amusing day out with members of our Chinese language school (BCLS) and some of their charges:

Hong Kong

Yet again. For yet more visa renewals. Yet still, an absolutely fantastic place, providing a wonderful combination of a true metropolis with small Chinese fishing islands:

All in all. A wonderful experience.

1:56 pm, September 20, 2008

Second Life

The world of computing, IT, and gadgetry encompasses a multitude of sins. So much so, that it is all but impossible to keep up to date with every aspect. Since returning to England and getting my laptop repaired, I’ve taken another look into Second Life — a whole portion of the connected-world of which I profess no understanding.

While it is very easy to pass-off virtual realms such as Second Life as mere games, they are becoming an ever increasing source of revenue for hosts and members alike. The model of selling virtual goods may seem somewhat alien, but it is one which works, as evidenced by the huge investments made by Sony and others in this space. In fact, it is not so dissimilar to the world of software and digital media, where we have the freedom to do something once and then sell it many many times.

A friend of mine now owns land in Second Life and makes her living selling fashion items. If you happen to be a Second Life member, check out her store:

She also keeps a rather nice mansion which serves as a further sales venue.

11:15 am, September 20, 2008