Shenyang or the Art of Being Chinese (我不也是中国人!)
Despite what a few Chinese people may think, I am not from Xinjiang, one of China’s western frontier provinces. No, seriously, I have been asked if I was from there. I guess seeing Westerners who speak...
View ArticleYummy Northeastern Specialities, Plus Everything You Need to Know About...
“Oh, this looks good!” I sigh, drooling in front of the food pictures displayed on the wall at the restaurant. “Wait a minute… are these silk worms? Okay, never mind. The veggies looked nice, though.”...
View ArticleAnother World
We took the bus to meet Feng’s family (yes, there were more members to meet!) in the suburb of Shenyang. The forty-minute ride took us through the city, across the river. The furthest we went, the...
View ArticleNo Power in Pyongyang… I mean, Shenyang
“You gotta be kidding me!” Feng shouted from the hallway as I stepped out of the apartment. At first, I didn’t see what the problem was. Mark was all bundled up and sure, he was whining, but we were...
View ArticleThe North Tomb (北陵)
When we first took the subway in Shenyang, I noticed that my plastic card bore a shot of the Imperial Palace. “Cool!” I thought. “It’s a good idea to show the city sights on the tickets.” A few days...
View ArticleAway from Home
Traveling implies a certain dose of discomfort. We aren’t roughing it—by Chinese standards, we have it easy, we have hot water, clean bathrooms, etc.—yet we are miles away from the convenience of...
View ArticleBeijing, From the Olympic Park to Tiananmen Square
And we are back in Beijing, where it all started. We took the high-speed train from Shenyang to Beijing, and arrived at the very crowded Beijing Station. It’s busier than it was a month ago because of...
View ArticlePeople of Beijing + Creative Signs
I couldn’t resist mixing my two favourite themes: street photography and language! So here are a few shots of the people of Beijing, plus several creative signs I collected. Snacking on Tiananmen...
View ArticleLast Day in Beijing...
It’s 9:20 p.m. and I’m sitting at Toronto’s Airport gate D22. We missed our connecting flight to Ottawa, of course, and we are waiting for the next one. It’s been a long day and a very long flight and...
View Article5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Chinese Culture
Pinned above my desk: Mao-era propaganda, communist hat and “cute” stuff Today is the National Day of the People’s Republic of China ( 国庆节), celebrated every year to commemorate the founding of the PRC...
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