Shanghai Apple Store
The weekend before last I paid a short pilgrimage to the new Apple Store in Pudong, Shanghai. It’s Apples second store on the mainland (the other is in Beijing) and as with many of its other stores the facade sports a cylindrical glass entrance with glass stairs which lead down to the brightly lit subterranean shop floor below. Read more
Le Royal Méridien Presidential Suite
Sometimes in life you have to pinch yourself to check what you’re experiencing is real. I had one such moment last weekend when I had the chance to visit the Presidential Suite of Le Royal Meridien in Shanghai. It just so happened to coincide with my birthday so was a pretty special occasion. Read on for the gory details. Read more
Hong Kong Moments IV
Given the number of times I’ve been to Hong Kong over the past two years to show friends around I’m pretty sure that I could be an official tour guide by now. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy going there but there’s a limit to how many time you want to visit the same places. Here are some more of my favourite Hong Kong moments… Read more
WET @ W Hong Kong
Last week I continued my quest to stay at the worlds most amazing hotels for free with a visit to the W in Hong Kong (for previous escapades see W Seoul, Park Hyatt Shanghai, and Hotel Éclat Taipei). The hotel is located alongside the relatively new Elements shopping mall in Kowloon right above the MTR station. Read more
Getting My Priorities Straight
The past week has been fairly hectic and thanks to China’s generous system of making you work the weekends either side of a national holiday I’m still in the office today (Sat). To add to my woes the weather is oppressively hot and humid in Shenzhen making it very hard to sleep at night, even with the AC on. I’m tired out. Read more
Shenzhen Photo Story Exhibition
Last Sunday evening I had the pleasure of being invited to present some of my photos along with ten other photographers at a “Photo Story Exhibition and Salon” held at Yishu Art Book Bar in Shekou, Shenzhen. While a few of my photos have been used in a couple of museum exhibitions I’d never properly presented them before and was a bit nervous to be doing so alongside real professionals! Read more
No Photos Please!
As a foreigner in China it’s not unusual to get stopped by people wanting to take your photo (especially outside big cities or at tourist attractions). This is OK the first few times but does get increasingly tiresome, especially when you don’t like having your photo taken in the first place. A friend of mine was recently looking for a way to deter said snappers so I put together a quick T-shirt design for her: Read more
A Date For Your Diary
On my final evening in Taipei we headed out from the hotel in search of dinner and quite by accident stumbled across a wonderful little restaurant called “Diary” on Dongfeng street in Da-an district (台北市東豐街53號). Attracted by its striking interior of exposed concrete walls and roof beams, softened by wooden tables and subtle lighting, we ventured inside… Read more
Ximending Night Market
Another day, another night market in Taipei, this time Ximending in the Wanhua District where the lights shine bright and every other person was riding a bike! In comparison to Shida and Shilin night markets Ximending had a more modern feeling and definitely seemed to be catering to a younger crowd. Read more
Louis XIV in Taipei
I’ve had some pretty good food in my time but rarely do my exploits extend to multi-course fine dining. Whilst I was in Taiwan I had the pleasure of experiencing some excellent haute cuisine curtsey of some very generous friends. One place in particular which stood out was Louis XIV, located in Taipei’s Da-an district, which serves exceptional French provencal cuisine. Here’s some pics to whet your appetite. Read more