August, 2011

  1. The Forbidden City

    August 31, 2011 by jess

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    Category Travel | Tags: | No Comments

  2. About meats

    August 30, 2011 by jess

    At the risk of being blunt, I would happily bundle together those who turn a blind eye to animal abuse, and ship them off to an island so they could all play Lord of the Flies together.

    Although a staunch vegetarian, I accept the fact that people have, and unfortunately probably always will, eat meat. What I struggle with, is how people can accept the cruelty involved in the process of bringing some of that meat to their table. (more…)

    Category Food, Vegetarian | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Week 2 – fav pics

    August 28, 2011 by jess

    Ritan Park

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,, | 3 Comments

  4. Exploring the big smoke

    August 28, 2011 by jess

    Forgive me readers, for I have sinned. It has been 4 days since my last blog.

    The first full school week finished well and my head is overflowing with vocab. I am now on 2 weeks hiatus from class as my significant other landed in town from LA. (more…)

    Category Travel | Tags: , | No Comments

  5. Meteorological stand-off

    August 24, 2011 by jess

    Today Beijing and I had our first meteorological stand-off. I suspect it will be the first of many.

    I finished class at 6pm and walked into the building foyer. I had seen the rain from my classroom window, so the wet was no surprise. It was the wind and the force with which it whipped around the buildings that had me impressed. (more…)

    Category language, Travel | Tags: , | 2 Comments

  6. Language logic

    August 23, 2011 by jess

    I’ve rarely had reason to ponder the deeper logic behind language development. It’s only now that I’m in an intensive language study programme that I’m having to wrap my head around such concepts, and I’m finding some interesting inconsistencies with my native tongue. (more…)

    Category language | Tags: | 2 Comments

  7. Food and tummy bugs

    August 21, 2011 by jess

    My advice to visitors in countries where approaching even the simplest of meals makes you feel like Jeremy Renner from The Hurt Locker,  is to come prepared with both tummy stoppers AND tummy starters.

    I have traveled to the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia and only been sick once. Mind you, once was enough. After three days I looked suitable for a Calvin Klein photo shoot straight out of the 1990s that would have (rightfully) had Germain Greer’s head spinning. There’s nothing quite like being so unwell you make use of multiple drainage systems simultaneously. Enough said.

    Bottom line: when you travel to places like these you will inevitably need more ‘corks’ than ‘corkscrews’, but it’s best to be prepared either way.

    (more…)

    Category Food, Travel | Tags: ,, | 3 Comments

  8. Week 1 – fav pics

    August 20, 2011 by jess

    I deliberated about posting this image, as I'm acutely aware of inappropriate pics of kids on the web. But given this little fellow was walking around Beijing (which has a population the size of Australia's), I decided this was really quite public already.

    You can buy these in lots of places. They’re popped in the microwave for a minute or so to heat. Aside from being vego, I don’t think I have an iron stomach!

    (more…)

    Category Travel | Tags: | 1 Comment

  9. Week 1 – key lesson

    August 19, 2011 by jess

    The traffic is omnipotent and omnipresent but you are not omniscient.

    Do not expect cars/trucks/electric bikes/bicycles to give way you to at a pedestrian crossing. Take a street crossing in stages, look in all directions (think Linda Blair sans vomit…but maybe bring the priest) (more…)

    Category Travel | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Roll with the hole

    August 19, 2011 by jess

    It’s time to tackle the intimidating and somewhat daunting nature of squat loos.

    For many Westerners they are frightening, nigh on unusable. But the reality is, unless you’re sheltered from the real side of this city (and most others in Asia, the Middle East etc), you will have to face the ‘natural position toilet’ at some point in your travels. I say, roll with it. (more…)

    Category Travel | Tags: | 6 Comments

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