Monday, 27 March 2023. Walking up and across and down the Juyongguan Great Wall today was a great way to celebrate one month in China, and connect with my grandfather’s ancestral roots. While I marvelled at the engineering to build the great wall, I also held a...
Week 4 began with an Introduction to Chinese Language: Mandarin, the official language of China, and ended with diplomacy. Standard Mandarin Chinese was developed between 1912‒1949, and is the official language of mainland China. It is one of the official languages of...
The third time is the charm, and week 3, 14-17 March, did not disappoint. Here are the highlights. On Tuesday, 14 March, we bused to China Film International Cinema, probably the largest cineplex I’ve ever been in, covering 13,000 square meters, 15 theatres, and all...
There is a checklist I follow when I leave home: passport and purse in hand, utilities turned off; family knows where I am supposed to be. Oh, and a packet of Crix crackers: vital supplies. Week 1: Friday, 24 February to Sunday, 5 March. It’s been an extended week, I...
Week 2: Monday, 6 March to Friday, 10 March. I barely had time to recover from my Great Hall experience on Saturday, when I was re-entering Beijing Asia Hotel, going back into the ‘closed loop’ arrangement ahead of participating in Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s press...
