Me and Siqi went for a leisurely stroll around Beijing’s Purple Bamboo Park on the way back from buying tickets to Tianjin at the train station yesterday. The place was full of middle-aged and elderly Chinese practicing Tai Chi, playing ball games and doing other forms of exercise. Another thing to note was the improved air quality since last time I was there. This is one of the first places I visited in Beijing when I had just met Siqi so it felt like a trip down memory lane…
After two weeks traveling around Thailand with Siqi, a two week cycling tour in France and a fair few weeks back at home catching up with friends and family (further prolonged due to health issues), I am now finally “de retour” in Beijing and have been settling back into my apartment again over the last week (which is conveniently a national holiday).
My studies recommence on the 6th of October and to be honest, I really don’t know what to expect. I will be in the ‘Chinese’ department of Capital Normal University and will study Chinese along with possibly hundreds of other Chinese students. As to exactly what sort of material we will be studying I currently have no idea although I have been told that I may be able to take up modules such as Modern Chinese Literature and Ancient Chinese - all should be revealed on Monday!
Over the last week me and Siqi have been heading back to our favourite places in Beijing whilst the summer warmth lasts (the temperature has been a steady 25°C during the day since I arrived) - eating out a lot in restaurants, going to the Cinema, music festivals etc. We have also bought train tickets for tomorrow to nearby Tianjin which is on the coast. It will be a nice little day trip and exciting to discover another Chinese city. I’ve also heard that Tianjin is famous for its seafood so I wouldn’t be surprised if some crab or lobster isn’t consumed somewhere along the way! The intercity train between Beijing and Tianjin is also the world’s fastest operating train service reaching top speeds of 375kph and hence is a bit of an attraction itself - covering 114km in just half an hour!
This year promises to be quite an eventful one - not only giving me great opportunities to improve my Chinese, but also hopefully allowing me to travel a bit more and see more of China. My biggest complaint about last year was that we did not get much holiday and when we did, so did the rest of the Chinese - making it impossible to buy tickets due to the sheer volume of holidaymakers on the move. This year I hope that things will be more flexible and I already have a shortlist of places I would like to go. Even if I can’t go away for long amounts of time, I intend to make some ‘long-weekend’ trips to places outside Beijing.
Sorry about the lack of updates recently but as the title of this blog suggests, InChina is about me in China and as I haven’t been in China for a while I didn’t really have much to write about 
Well… after over a year in Asia and my longest time ever away from home, I’m finally making the journey back to the UK. After a long 10 hour haul from Beijing, I’m now at Munich Airport in Germany and waiting for my onward transfer to Manchester.
Despite being away from home for so long, I’m actually not actually going to be at home for as long as I would like so its going to be a bit of a rushed summer! I’m back for 4 weeks in total but two of those are going to be spent on a cycle tour of the alps with the old folks - leaving only one week on either side back in Kendal.
After that its back to Beijing again for another year of study. This time I’ll be studying side by side with Chinese students on a normal Chinese degree programme - except that I’m only going to partake in the first year of studies, after which I hope to return to Leeds and finish off my degree there.
Anyway, best be off. Not long before my flight now. At least there is a wifi connection here so there is something to keep me distracted
Look forward to seeing you Kendalians very soon.
Jono
