“Let me take you somewhere special today”, beamed Jin Jin. I was rather exhausted from the previous days in the people packed Shanghai streets and was hoping for a restful Sunday afternoon but not wanting to disappoint Jin Jin I agreed. Catching the bus at Wanli estate we wound through the suburbs of Shanghai traveling North West. We finally arrived at Nanxiang Town at Jiading. We got off the bus and began walking a short distance when my curiosity was aroused by an building from antiquity. “Let’s eat” smiled Jin Jin. “Here is where the famous Xiaolong [View Full Entry]

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I had succumbed an unfortunate accident in Shanghai falling out of a shop. Yes, most of my friends had the same reaction: “falling out of a shop??!!” Well, if you are familiar with old Chinese buildings you will know about the raised wooden threshold at the bottom of the door which one needs to step over. Only on this occasion in the old area of Shanghai I stepped backwards chatting to the shop owner while exiting the shop and. . .there I went sprawling onto the footpath and spilling onto the road stopped by a passing cyclist I almost dismounted. Nearby [View Full Entry]

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It was a warm early autumn afternoon when we flew in to Jinan International Airport on a “test run” with a host family. Earlier during the Hainan Airlines flight from Xi’An (I can recommend them - the service was excellent!) I was reading a travel guide which would turn even the most curious traveller off visiting Jinan. “Smoggy and dirty city which has little to offer the traveller - not worth the journey.” My excitement levels plummeted to zero. The host family brought along cousins, aunts, uncles and anyone else that could fit into their 7 seater people mov [View Full Entry]

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It was a foggy morning when we awoke in Xi'an; or perhaps it was a smoggy morning. Any mist for an Australian from Brisbane is fog! My partner and I walked to People's Square when at 5:30 am people were buzzing about doing whatever morning exercise came naturally. Qigong is our style so we commenced breathing in the (fresh?) morning air. It was not long into the stretching when I felt a slightly sore throat. Panic!! Agghh! Dread! Visions of being laid up with the flu, bronchitis in a Chinese hospital did not do my morale any justice. "Chilli", came my [View Full Entry]

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