And so the first night we arrived in Chengdu, we rushed down to the main shopping belt Chunxi Road for a good Macs and a place to chill. We trotted around, and around the corner from the Starbucks I spotted in the short distance a sign! It said ‘Illy’s'! Imagine my excitement at finding non-Starbucks,… [Read more…]
June 16, 2010
Despite my joy at the apparent discovery of the abundance of coffee-selling places in the heart of Chengdu, to be honest, they were not very fantastic. My main issue is that many of them are designed like bars instead of cafes; and designs that are too grand and intricate don’t put me at ease. The… [Read more…]
June 13, 2010
I have always been fascinated by Chinese names. With different cultures, names mean different things. My Malay and Indian friends may correct me if I’m wrong; but in my understanding, the names in their culture reflect their heritage and who they ‘come from’. Jewish names were often given to remember an event in the father’s… [Read more…]
June 12, 2010
And so what else did I do besides hug kids, pour cement, cry and teach in Sichuan? I drank coffee, of course! Haaa. Even my team-mates would ask me almost everyday on R&R if I went to any cafe that day. To my surprise, I found out that Chengdu actually has a relatively active coffee… [Read more…]
June 6, 2010
Here it is. The much awaited video-log of some of the days in Sichuan are here. Firstly, let me say this is not an artistic piece of video. It’s just all my little clips of me talking to the camera put together from beginning to end. I didn’t do anything aesthetic to it. Neither is… [Read more…]
June 3, 2010
Chinese culture has always emphasised inter-generational legacies; dual-directionally. From young, we are taught to remember its source while drinking the water (饮水思源), that roads are paved by people (路是人走出来的 – 鲁迅), that those who come before plant the trees; while those who come after enjoy the shade (前人种树，后人乘凉). Culturally speaking, I believe this is one… [Read more…]
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June 23, 2010
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