Xiaotuanshan Herb Farm
With four days off for May Day (a big holiday in China), I took the chance to visit a fascinating little place outside Hefei, called XiaoTuanShan Herb Farm (小团山香草农庄). I went with a Chinese friend, Joe, and his family. Xiaotuanshan is around 40 miles west of Hefei, set back in the surprisingly pleasant hills of Feixi, where the air is still fresh and you’d be forgiven for thinking you...
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Big Sur
In 2007 I fled the UK in search of some sort of peaceful escapist fantasy that took me quickly to Big Sur – refuge of literary and artistic types for many decades, from Hunter S. Thompson to Henry Miller to Jack Kerouac. I only stayed a short while, but it remains one of my fondest memories. Yesterday, while editing an article about Big Sur by Hunter S. Thompson scholar, Rory Feehan, I went looking...
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Dragon Balls and Fish Balls
Nanjing is one of the most pleasant cities in China, where the Middle Kingdom’s ancient and sometimes tragic history is mixed with modernity. The following photos were taken near the Confucius Temple, in one of the most touristy parts of...
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Fat Kids and Crab Balls
Here are my two favourite photos from my recent trip to Cambodia. Sadly, I can’t claim credit for either (although they were taken with my camera!) as these were both my wife’s.
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Cambodia Part Six: Finally, Angkor Wat
Whoever decided to run a night bus from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap was a certified genius. The journey takes about twelve hours, and so if you attempt it during by daylight, you’ve pretty much sacrificed a whole day of your holiday. Amy and I were only in Cambodia for twelve days, and so that wasn’t a desirable option. More importantly, you’re not just sitting on a bus for twelve hours. Fuck that. I...
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Cambodia Part Five: Last Days in Sihanoukville
We were back in Sihanoukville. It’s a nice place, but after the tranquility of Koh Thmei, I wasn’t particularly looking forward to being back among the crowds of Serendipity. We figured that it didn’t really matter, though. We’d just rent a motorcycle again and spend our days in quieter places, returning to take advantage of the cheap foods and diverse menus only at meal-times. So we checked into...
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Cambodia Part Four: Koh Thmei
My last post detailed my arrival at Koh Thmei, which wasn’t particularly pleasant. What with being ripped off by motorcycle drivers, waiting around forever in the burning sun, feeling unwelcome after arrival, and then witnessing the removal of a dead body… Well, these weren’t exactly what I’d planned when I envisioned a few days on a tropical island. But of course, I quickly came to understand...
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Cambodia Part Three: Arriving in Koh Thmei
When I woke up the following morning, the two motorcycle drivers were waiting outside the hotel. They were early. There are so many of them in Sihanoukville that they pretty much have to do what it takes to get work, even if that means driving out to a hotel away from the crowds, and taking two people to a fishing village more than an hour from town. You’d think it would be easier to haggle with these...
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Most Recent Articles
Hansik Fail
Overall I have been very impressed by the quality of Korean food (hanksik, 한식) in China. From well-stocked supermarkets to swanky restaurants, I’ve had a lot of kimchi, bulgogi, and samgyupsal in this...
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Car vs. Bike
There’s a debate in my head that has been raging for about a week now. After signing a new contract last week, my wife brought up the idea of buying a car or motorcycle. We’ve been in China for a year and a...
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Modern Family and Modern China
In the two years I’ve lived and worked in China, I’ve shown each and every...
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A Party in the Park
Every evening the school radio starts up. It booms from crackling speakers...
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Media Revels in Reporting “Chinese” Dead Baby Pills
When you look at the world news, you are given a glimpse at the world through...
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Xiaotuanshan Herb Farm
With four days off for May Day (a big holiday in China), I took the chance to...
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Korea: A Chinese Province
I met a man last night who claimed that Korean food is basically Chinese food...
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Why I Think Facebook Was Accessible in China Today
Today, Facebook was made (temporarily?) available in Beijing and Shanghai....
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About Me
I am the editor of Beatdom magazine, the author of The Dog Farm, and a constant traveller. I have lived on three different continents, and currently work as a professor in China. Read more... 