Tips from the T-List

The lesser spotted tween, and its larger relative, the greater spotted teen, are elusive creatures in urban China. You might glimpse one between 6 and 7am, neat in their tracksuits on their way to school, then again between 5.30 and 7pm, returning to their homes. On Friday nights, you might catch one... (more...)

Barcelona is a fantastic place to go as a couple for a city break but there are also a wide range of great attractions and activities that are fun for the whole family. From theme parks and zoos, to museums and breathtaking sights, you are guaranteed a family holiday to remember in Barcelona. Barcelona... (more...)

A bit of English language Googling around bilingual schools in Harbin finds a site for teachers of English as a foreign language, and a job advertised at a bilingual school. I Google around the school’s name in English, plough through a lot of investment sites, and eventually dig up the Chinese... (more...)

And, as if by magic, with a little lot of help from Ski School videos, everything comes together. It’s snowing! It’s snowing, for this arid region, a lot. Lovely, soft fat flakes of ripe March snow, not the diamond-hard glitter of the January snows, spreading their cottonwool softness over... (more...)

The Chinese are the most inventive nation on earth when it comes to winter fun, but skiing in China is a very new thing. And, as with other Western imports, the Chinese treat it in their own inimitable style. Take the ski train. This leaves Harbin every morning during the season, trundles three hours... (more...)

Greetings from sunny California! We’re here in Fresno, California to spend some time with family, meet my new nephew Dominic, and enjoy some downtime. With Baby Dominic’s arrival, we’ve all been swept in warmth and joy. It’s only been two weeks but putting work on hold has done wonders... (more...)

And here we are, in Harbin, which is, if everything goes to plan, our home base for at least three months. We push through the surge and out of the station into the brisk night air. In Bulgaria, this time last year, I remember thinking how very cold -22 was. Harbin is way below that. The snow on the... (more...)

When it comes to ice skating, like everything else, the Chinese do it differently. Very differently. And ice skating in Beijing is really something else. Especially on Qianhai Lake. It’s not just the unavoidable presence of the PLA, whether riding ice dodgems, guarding ice bikes, administering... (more...)