On Christmas Eve I made the 18 hour journey from Shenzhen to my hometown in the UK; Norwich in Norfolk to spend the festive season at my parents home a little way outside the city center. Unlike last year they knew I was coming so there were no big surprises, only the inevitable jet lag brought on by the 8 hour time shift.
Having spent Christmas 2008 in China it seemed a bit of a pity to miss out on the festivities for a second year running so I decided to make a last-minute surprise visit home without telling anyone I was coming. After nearly 20 hours of travelling I flew into Norwich via Amsterdam from Hong Kong on the morning of Christmas Eve and turned up on my parents doorstep shortly before midday. To say people were surprised would be an understatement (luckily none of my family have heart conditions!). It felt rather weird to be thrust directly into the Christmas spirit without the usual months of buildup which usually proceed it in the UK. It was however much nicer to experience it in person rather than through…
I bet if you checked the clothes your wearing right now that most of them were made in China (or nearby). It would also be a fair bet that the computer your using was made there also along with your phone and a lot of what you own full stop. In fact, looking around me about the only thing not made in china is me! Whilst pondering the existential nature of life on the bus home last night this rather bizarre factoid struck home and I scribbled a note in my iPhone to remind myself of it later. That same night I fired up Photoshop and determined to create my own statement of manufactured origin to adorn myself with. I decided to go with…
Last Thursday I arrived back in the green and pleasant land I call home on my private Fokker 50 turboprop plane weary from the flight and the previous four hours spent stuck in Schiphol airport. Nevertheless it was good to be back on British soil and as my driver pulled up on the runway tarmac to greet us I reflected on how much I had personally changed in the past year since leaving the UK. It was fast becoming clear that you don’t realise what you’ve got until you loose it… Back on my country estate I had a dull feeling like something was missing and after about half an hour of wandering around aimlessly it hit me: where had all the people gone? No longer was I…
Tonight I will be returning to the UK for a short break from China but fear not I’ll be retuning in two weeks time. My flight goes from Hong Kong via Amsterdam meaning it’ll be a rather long journey (17 hours) which I never look forward to but hopefully should lessen the jet lag as I basically fly through the night of 8 time zones. It’s been 10 months since I moved to Shenzhen and so far it’s been a great experience. Although I have developed somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the country it continues to fascinate me and I’ve managed to see and learn a lot more since my previous shorter trips as well as met some interesting people. Shenzhen might not be the…
Obtaining an employment visa (Z type) to work in China from the UK has been a real nightmare, seemingly compounded by the Olympics when things were further tightened up. The process isn’t very well documented anywhere so to try and possibly help others I thought I might relay my experiences. Please note that none of the below is in any way official and obviously subject to change – your mileage may vary! To apply for the Z visa from the UK your company will need to provide you with the following documentation: An employment permit An visa notification letter For them to get this documentation you will need give them: Passport (should be valid for at least 6 months with blank pages) Education (degree)…
Last weekend I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour of One Canada Square, the tallest building in the UK, courtesy of a friend who works there. Situated at the heart of Canary Wharf close to where I live the main structure is 235m tall with 50 floors and is a prominent landmark on London’s rapidly evolving skyline. Having featured prominently in a string of recent films (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Supremacy, 28 Weeks Later…) and the UK version of The Apprentice recently it’s likely you’ll recognise the location. The higher floors offer amazing panoramic views of east London with the river Thames snaking its way around the Isle of Dogs. On a clear day you…
Wow, the new designs for UK currency from the Royal Mint look great! I’m amazed that they have gone with something so bold and contemporary. It’s the first time they’ve been updated since 1968 and frankly puts the rest of Europe’s coinage to shame (although no doubt some will hate them). The queen still remains on the reverse side. [via] What do you think?
Last weekend I took a trip to York, a historic city in the north of England. Being nearly 2000 years old there is plenty of interest to see and do if you enjoy a bit of culture (and don’t mind walking!). Last weekend the weather was particularly mild and almost spring like for this time of year in the UK (around 10 deg C) which made it even nicer and not bad conditions for taking a few photos! Whilst you could probably spend a good week exploring, if you only have a day or two here are some places of note: York Minster – the second-largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, incredibly beautiful both inside and out Castle Museum – a surprisingly good museum…