The other day, waiting to cross the road at the main gate of the university, we hear a voice behind. “Do you know where I can find turmeric?” I turn around, and there is this man in a green mask pulled halfway across his face. “Turmeric?” I ask. “Maybe you can try asking at any […]
It’s been almost a week since I came back from Emei Shan. My legs still ache and quiver like jelly when I see steps or stairs of any kind. But this week, I have had to climb steps of a different kind. Monday saw us open Chinese lessons in the B1 level. This was decided […]
I am back from an exhilarating and excruciatingly painful journey to Emei Shan. Trip report of that will come shortly, but first I must go back a week. Last Sunday, I went to Tianfu Square, which is the center of Chengdu. I had mentioned then that the Square was just crawling with cops. It seemed […]
Finally, after a few days of seeing just Birdy, I get to meet a few of the other foreigners here. Just around the corner of the university gates are a few restaurants. Many of them are run by Muslims. Probably because Xinjiang Province is close by. They are quite distinctive from Han Chinese. You can […]
That’s Carrefour in Chinese. A short 1-km walk from the university gates, and there it was. It being a Monday, there was not much of a crowd. Our purpose in walking here was to find a towel, or maojin as it is called in Chinese. A bath towel, if you please. What I like about […]
Today morning dawned…well, no different from the other yesterdays. Chengdu seems to be almost always dreary. I haven’t seen a blue sky yet. Dark. Grey. A hint of rain. Damp. That is about it for the weather. I wonder what job a weather forecaster would have here. Weather forecast for tomorrow? Wet, cold and chance […]
It’s around 8 degrees Celsius. My fingers move slowly across the keyboard. There is no heating in this room apart from an AC, and the roof needs a new roofing, if you are looking for the best roofing experts you could try here. I sit here, clad in my full-length jacket. Outside, the sky is […]