The ‘Swing Bar’ on Bar Street became a regular haunt and featured this fantastic collection of musicians who would do their best to perform almost any song requested.

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

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…

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:

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

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:

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

Hong Kong

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

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

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:

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

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:

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

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:

• .Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
• Flickr (Slow Computers)

All in all. A wonderful experience.

As we’re only two thirds of the way through 2008, I’m looking forward to adding a couple more to the list before the year’s out.

This post is therefore going to be relatively short and — aside from noting that I’m currently in London — won’t even attempt to cast any light on what it is I’ve actually been up to over the last few weeks. I shall leave that for future ramblings.

It is time, however, to focus on the Beijing Olympics. Google’s logo is particularly close to my heart today:

In 2004, I visited China not long after they had been chosen to host the 2008 olympics. Four years later, I was lucky enough to return and see Beijing transformed, watch the finishing touches being put on the various stadia, trees being shipped into the city, and see Olympic fervour set in, championed by five somewhat unlikely cuddly characters.

Sadly, as I am now returned to London, I will be unable to watch the events live. But, I will — as with most of the rest of the World — be watching with great interest, hoping that everything goes smoothly.

In keeping with this, the following photo was snapped while passing the Natural History Museum during a recent trip to London. Only a week before, I been enjoying turtle soup for my Friday lunch a few blocks from the office. One man’s wildlife is another man’s dinner…

As I slowly prepare myself for the next experience — perhaps a more Western one (in-so-much-as any Westerner can ever have a truly Eastern experience when exporting one’s own culture with such abandon) — I find myself amused by seeing the differences from the ‘other’ side.

Of course, it’s not possible to spend time in China without visiting the various markets, getting a tailored suit, and just generally being a bit of a tourist:

Over the next few weeks, I hope to find a chance to go through the numerous photos I have taken and offer some up online. Thanks, for the time being, have to go to George for his photographic records.

China is no different. In fact, China offers more opportunities than many of the places I have experienced to-date. This seems to be the result of a strange historical and cultural combination whereby food is initially eaten through necessity and then continues to be eaten through that dogged Chinese determination that is ‘saving face‘.

It’s quite amazing what you can get ‘on a stick’ here:

I am reliably informed that all of the most expensive foods taste bad. Taste is — apparently — not the point.