Globalisation
Posted on January 22nd, 2009
Going from +23 to -8 °C in just two hours was a bit of a shock to the system when I arrived in
Going from +23 to -8 °C in just two hours was a bit of a shock to the system when I arrived in
During the National holiday last week I took a brief trip out of Shenzhen for a couple of days to the small city of Shaoguan, a 4.5 hour journey inland, to visit a friend at the university there. On the way out I took the train which was a first for me in China. Despite all the dire warnings people had given me about trains in China (dirty, unsafe, crowded…) the one I was on was actually quite pleasant, albeit a bit slow. The family I sat next to was even kind enough to give me some of their food for lunch – not something you would ever find in the UK (although it might have had something to do with me practicing English…
After the initial glitches Apple had with their iPhone 3G launch and 2.0 software update launch last Friday settled down I was pleasantly surprised to find that, aside from all the new features, there are some pretty useful 3rd party applications already available and even better many are free. One which particularly caught my eye is the Mandarin Audio Phrasebook made by Lonely Planet. While I usually take a phrasebook when I’m going somewhere I don’t speak the language to be honest I rarely use it. The problem I have with paper phrase books is that its a pain to find what you want quickly which is the majority of situations when you need it. This application goes some way to solving the issue…
Before I head off to catch my flight to Seoul I thought I might share a few travel tips that I’ve picked up over the last few years. One thing which traveling has consistently taught me is that less is more when it comes to the amount you have to carry around. Trying to negotiate urban jungles or remote wildernesses with a heavy suitcase is a nightmare you’ll not want to repeat so packing light is a skill worth learning. As a general rule if there’s something you are unlikely to use then don’t take it ~ if you need something desperately when you’re out on the road buy or borrow it. Here’s my general packing list of things I don’t leave home without:…