Back in Shanghai 15 years later

15 years (almost to the day) after I first landed in China, I was back, once again in Shanghai. I didn't have a lot of free time since I was there for work but I did manage to visit and explore a few places and thing back on what has changed and what has not changed.

And much has not changed. Physically much of the original and older Shanghai still remains as it was, with fairly narrow winding lanes past houses or apartments that are just a few storeys high. There are still armies of elderly employed in various fashions as there were before, especially on street cleaning; nowadays also in the many public toilet blocks (which are nicer than they used to be); and there are still many people keeping the peace or being security guards (even though nowadays there are also millions of CCTV cameras as well helping them out and even some robots!)

There is still a lot of green and a lot of trees remain. In fact Shanghai has probably more green than before as they have (proudly) torn down old houses to build new parks all over the city. Some of the older houses have now become cafes and restaurants and bars, but retrofitted in a trendy way.

There is still a lot of buses, though underground of course is now the world's largest subway system with at least 15-20 different lines (15 years ago there were only 2 lines)--though a few new overground train stations exist to support the incredible high-speed train system that has been built from scratch. In fact when I first arrived there were just normal trains and some "fast" trains, known as K (for Kuai or Fast). Then they introduced the T (for Te or Very), and then there were the Z trains and the D trains as the train meanings changed from speed to comfort and incorporated first class (since they were basically all fast nowadays, except for some stopping trains). 

There are still people collecting plastic from the rubbish bins to recycle them and get money, and the new push this year for separation of rubbish might have even helped them. There are still people pulling carts around piled up with cardboard and ringing bells asking for people to give their recyclables. There are still some people with their cabinet by the side of the road where they will fix bikes. In fact though I didn't have the chance to be in a downtown area at rush hour in order to see if the number of bikes is the same as it was 15 years ago or not, i would not be surprised if it was similar since the crazy of about 4 years ago with millions of bikes that you can find anywhere (and the app shows you where the available bikes are) to rent for a few pennies for 15 minutes, pay with the app and leave (almost) anywhere too. There is no doubt there are more electric scooters now than there were before though.

There are still small little hole-in-the-wall restaurants selling dumplings (I had to have my fill of the soup dumplings that are a Shanghai specialty and come with either thin or thick crust), even as there are super trendy and expensive restaurants and bars inside and outside of the plenty of shopping malls. It is not unusual to pay 6 British pounds equivalent for a fancy coffee (Sea Salt Black Gold Iced Coffee) though a normal coffee can be got for half of that. In fact money may have been the thing that has changed the most; not just the prices which have increased dramatically and even the dumplings or fruit on the street is about 5 times more expensive than 15 years ago (and of course the cost of housing, education and food is much more expensive, in many cases the most expensive in the world). Nowadays almost no-one has any cash in China, with everything being done through a mobile payment app, and many shops refuse to take cash!

There is a lot more "modern" culture, such as shopping festivals and music festivals (I was there over a holiday weekend so saw a couple in major shopping areas). There is of course Pudong, a whole part of a city that was a marsh 30 years ago, still barely developed 15 years ago and now a highly developed area (bigger than a normal city in the West) with very wide highways, universities, science parks, industrial parks and much more.

There has been a real effort to keep some of the older buildings, indeed some get a new lease of life, like the new Columbia Circle which was an old British Navy club a hundred odd years ago and now is part of a redeveloped area (amusingly you can visit the old swimming pool, but only to look at it from the side, and you must follow the "rules of viewing the scenic pool").

I went back to the Urban Planning Museum, 15 years on, to see the scale model of the city. Nowadays of course there are hundreds, if not thousands of skyscrapers, including the second tallest building in the world, two dramatically bigger airports, several large convention centers, multiple stadiums and much more besides. The museum has many exhibits explaining the development of Shanghai addressing its social and environmental challenges as well as transport and the harder aspects of the city.

Camping and horse riding in the UK summer vacation

A couple of weeks in the UK with the family took on the usual format. This year one trip was staying on a farmhouse with a horse riding stables so the kids could ride horses to their hear's delight.

Of all the many activities the kids enjoy doing, horse riding may remain an occasional activity rather than a regular hobby compared to others, but we'll have to see. As parents small decisions on encouraging (paying for) certain hobbies could have a big influence on kids future lives. But how much/early/what musical instrument should they learn? What about the various forms of dance? And Sports? And arts and theatre? The list could go on and they surely can't take them all up seriously. Some they can take at school during class or as extracurricular activities. Some they can try and see what they like or what they are good at, but some activities you can't really try since you may not get good and enjoy it straight away. And of course the enjoyment and suitability factor will be influenced by the setting, i.e. the teacher, the friends, even the timing of the activity during the week!

As the kids get older they are of course getting better at walking or cycling during these holidays. There still remains a lack of "grit" (the in word it seems), though that may not be unusual for their age. But they tend to do quite well in the right circumstances, e.g. having a dog (or other supportive friends) for company, having snacks on the way, having something interesting or fun at the end of the trip, avoiding hills or excessive effort, avoiding activities when kids are tired etc.

The kids always enjoy camping, partly for the camping experience, partly for what they get up to when camping when they can meet friends, play on playgrounds and so on. At this campsite we were in a corner where there was no road and many other kids in the same corner to play with.

No matter where we go in the UK there are always unlimited places nearby to explore, though some better (for kids) than others... it could be castles or other historical relics (that usually have kids activities on, especially during school holidays), it could be museums of something strange (tanks, butterflies, wildlife park) or something local (lifeboats, as we were on the coast, or a model village). There could be a steam railway, or a natural attraction and of course there could be a swimming pool, beach or other leisure facility (water park this time!). There is probably a pretty village or market, and there is always going to be visits to some pubs and/or cream tea cafes!

This year we got fairly lucky with the weather and managed to do quite well on all fronts, with only the odd walk or cycle going on a bit too long (or hilly), and a good mixture of fun activities with exercise. There's always plenty of deserts too unfortunately that can entice kids.

This trip was the first time we got to meet my sister's new son; Hannah particularly likes playing mum (with anyone, but especially her cousin) though Leah tends to be obsessed with my mum's dog still (at least she is big enough to pull the dog rather than the other way around when she was younger which often led to problems)! Though there was still the odd fights over the dog too.

The scariest part of the trip? Either going on a ride at Gulliver's Land with an almost 5 year old that goes upside down (she was exactly 120 cm and thus able to go on it) or trying to rescue family members lost in a very complicated hedge maze at Longleat. The most bizarre part? Living in Africa but going to a Safari Park in the UK to see African animals... or my sister spending most of her bus trip back to London next to someone throwing up.

June and July with the family and without

The girls are now in Europe. In German Leah has shown how much her German has improved in the last half year, which is great. Hannah's reading has come on nicely since they started learning almost a year ago and both are doing well at School according to their teacher.

Last month there was a father's day event at the Kindergarten where the kids performed a show for the dads; an open day for the school where we could get a tour of what different kids had done in different classes (and see some of the interesting art in Hannah's class that was related to nature). There was also an art exhibition for those in the school so we could see all the various paintings, collages and other things the kids have been up to, and the elder kids performed a fashion show.

Hannah did her swimming badge (200m in under 7 minutes 5 seconds as well as some other tasks) and is one of the best swimmers in her class, and her tennis is coming on slowly. Leah also joins in with tennis now on Sundays and hopefully can start to swim alone before the end of the year. The German School has installed solar-powered heating in the pool now so even when they come back in August (which is the coldest month in Kenya), they may still be able to use it.

We've found a new Chinese teacher which is working out quite well, it is near my office which was convenient when Andrea was away in part of May and June. There is also a lego place next to the office which I can leave the kids at to play too if we can't get a nanny for a couple hours after school (the bus drops them at the gate conveniently). Though it's not much fun having to get up at 5.45 and rush through making the kids some snacks and getting them both up and on the school bus by 6.20, after a while its not too bad. It is certainly easier when Andrea is here and only has to leave at 6.50 to drive them to school!

At the end of June, as is sort of a tradition we all went up to Northern Kenya for the annual Lewa Marathon (or this year, just the half marathon for me) staying at our friend Trinnie's farm. The kids enjoy being on the farm (there is even a pool there now), and spotting some animals in Lewa conservancy whilst I and friends and colleagues are running. On the way back to Nairobi we stopped at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (formerly known as an animal orphanage which I highly recommend. They even let the kids "ride" the lamas and tortoises that roam around freely.

Whilst they have gone for their holidays I've been able to catch up work, pop by Rwanda again, and come to terms with how quiet it is without them (and also watch some excellent netflix series, some very exciting cycling and even the odd interesting cricket match)!

Rwanda - as clean and orderly as expected

In mid-May I went to Rwanda for a few days for work. Rwanda is probably mostly known for two things: the terrible genocide 25 years ago, and being very clearn, organised and tidy.

In fact it is almost beyond clean. I can't quite work out why it has to be so clean! Street cleaners not only tidy up the leaves on the street (because there is no rubbish), they even clean the moss out of the pavement or speedbumps! There are of course plenty of rubbish bins and a clear culture of cleanliness. 

I had heard many times of this reputation but it is still striking how clean Kigali the capital is coupled with the fantastic street infrastructure that it really does look more like Singapore. Every road is in perfect condition with pavements, perfect tarmac, traffic lights, streetlights and road markings. This is unheard of the rest of Africa with the exception of South Africa and I have no idea how the country could afford it. Although at rush hour I did see one policeman managing a traffic junction and disregarding the traffic lights and I am not sure why.

Kigali itself is a little strange for a capital city as aside from the good quality roads the city itself is not very developed without many tall buildings and with the city sprawling out over the hills (it is very hilly and the roads are very winding). Even the business district only has a few tallish buildings and is easily missed. The city is very green with an intentional effort to keep trees as much as possible, and to keep the houses interspersed with nature. It does not look like a capital city and doesn't seem too crowded.

Though the hotel seemed close to the center of the city, in the mornings I went for a nice run through what was basically villages just a few kilometers from the center. I did find some an unpaved road there and enjoyed the run past a golf course.

Kigali and Rwanda try to position themselves as the efficient city, trying to make itself more of a tech hub, though I think it is struggling since it has a fairly small population and no real strategic advantages (hence the effort to focus on efficiency as its advantage). 

There are some reminders of the awful past with some signs up every now and again promoting various initiatives that try to make sure no-one forgets or brings people together again. I can see why the government would want to make sure the genocide or ethnic tensions never happens again (apparently it is always simmering under the surface). I am not sure if Kigali is actually dangerous at all, but at their little airport a short drive from the city there is a crazy security machine which a car goes through on special wheels (the passengers get out and go through a different security procedure). Unfortunately there is only one of these machines, so the biggest queue in the city seems to be there!

The conference I was attending was well organised and I can see why its a popular place for such events; I also can attest to Kigali (I didn't really see anything else of Rwanda) being well worthy of its reputation.

London Marathon

Having begun running a decade or more ago, and having completed a few other marathons before (Beijing twice, Shanghai and Lewa), and with Easter weekend very close to London marathon weekend, I finally ran out of excuses not to do the London marathon once, since my Dad has done it about 35 times and has constantly been asking me when to do it.

There was of course one major excuse, which was not having an entrance (the odds are between 1:10 and 1:20 it seems), so I contacted one of the best charities I know in Kenya (since Huawei gives them a lot of money every year, and I've visited many of their projects and met their team), and got a place through them.

I was not the best fundraiser to start with, despite the headstart from close family donations, but I have got closer to the target thanks to various friends from the UK and China, and a few from Kenya (Kenyans usually get more pressing requests for donations, such as hospital bills, but several have contributed). There was facebook messages, whatsapp messages, wechat messages and some emails. 

Despite having the marathon hanging over me for the whole week vacation beforehand, i tried to enjoy the vacation seeing some friends in London, taking the kids to theme parks with the family, seeing some theatre (Book of Mormon very funny, Pillowman very good, All My Sons decent), spending time with the family, escaping from an Escape Room (lots of fun), and going to the incredible Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to see a match (we eventually won).

And the marathon itself? Well, there were some differences to those I have done before. Of course the weather was fairly miserable, though it didn't rain. Of course i knew some of the route well; and of course there were a LOT of spectators.

In fact despite having watched several London Marathons when I used to live in the UK, I couldn't quite work out why there were so many supporters who were so crazy. Within a few miles of the start much of the course was packed, and certainly all the second half of the course was. It was helpful at first, and fun reading the various messages for specific runners or for everyone ("your running better than the government"); it was enjoyable touching hands with kids and hitting the "hit me for a boost" signs (or pictures of political leaders). The first half was generally fine, after fighting through an early stitch.

After a while all the cheering felt like I was getting close to the finishing line without actually being anywhere near the finishing line! Soon it was head down time to get through the tough third quarter which seems to go on for a very long time (26 miles is a very long way indeed), and then into the final quarter. At that point the feet were really heavy and the pace was getting slower. I decided not to fight it, and just accept it... plodding along so as not to be in any pain and start to enjoy the views, past the Tower of London, London eye and Parliament up to the Palace, and of course enjoy the noise.

What a noise. From the bands to the supporters. From the guy with a mic on his balcony cracking jokes, to the guy with a horn for honking, there was all sorts of people watching and all sorts of innovations to get spotted. Then of course the costumes: I managed to finish ahead of Big Ben (who amusingly struggled to fit under the finish line), but behind a Wonder Woman (there may have been more than one...). I saw a Womble on the train in the morning, and a Rhino (several miles behind at one of the corners). I passed a couple of Bananas, spiderman, cave woman, and all sorts of other incredible people running for charity.

Thank you to my sisters, brother-in-law, wife and daughters for coming out to support.

Thank you everyone for the support to Tusk!

p.s. I did successfully run 400m in just over a minute on a running machine at the Marathon Expo at World Record Pace, though it is truly incredible that Kipchoge can do that pace for 2 hours.

Photos are https://flic.kr/s/aHsmc2AbS2 and https://www.marathonfoto.com/Proofs?PIN=Y5T333&LastName=LANE

Christmas holiday in Ethiopia - part 3

Next up was a short flight to Gonder. The flights were all very nice, with great views of Ethiopian countryside. Gonder was an ancient capital of Ethiopia back in the day, and had some grand palaces which we visited. Some of the buildings were still in good condition on the outside, but were generally empty inside (some items were elsewhere in other museums). It was still impressive seeing the massive stone palaces, bathhouses, stables, dining rooms and other parts of the palace. Since they are still in their original state they seemed quite authentic. A few miles away we visited the Bathhouse which was a small room in the middle of a massive rectangular swimming pool. Surrounding the pool was a wall, that had mostly been taken over by the trees, and it was all very picturesque.

We also saw one of Ethiopia's most beautiful churches, with incredible frescoes on the walls and ceilings. And outside of Gonder is Falasha, a small village that used to be home to a Jewish community. It is possible to visit the old synagogue (really just a hut with a star of david), and some of the homes with stars of david on them. The Ethiopian jews were mostly airlifted or transported to Israel a decade or two ago (and the stories behind how these happened are well worth looking up, or watching in the the relevant films). The jewish community in Ethiopia has roots going back a very long time, but there is only a few remnants left in Addis now.

We also did a day hiking trip to the Simien Mountains, a spectacular mountain range with its own climate and vegetation, along with wonderful views, and the gelada monkeys, who we saw eating, and also fighting amongst themselves. It was a wonderful day, with a picnic, and good exercise. 

After yet another flight we were back in Addis, where we saw the remains of Lucy (and other ancient prehistoric relations) in the various museums, learned about Ethiopian culture and history in the fairly decent Ethnological Museum, walked around much of the city seeing the backlanes as well as the parks, Hotels and African Union Buildings, and also learned about recent Ethiopian History in the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum. Guided by someone who was imprisoned during the time of the Derg (who had overthrown the previous dictatorship, only to be much more brutal), it was much like a holocaust museum. Not particularly enjoyable, particularly the torture instruments exhibits and all the skulls!

After an evening meal at Yod Abyssinia for more Injera alongside some Ethiopian cultural dancing, we left for Nairobi.

Thoughts on Ethiopia?

- Go visit, tourist friendly, great sites to see with a huge range from nature to historical to cultural. We didn't even see the South or East of the country.

- Generally friendly people, obsessed with coffee (it is the home of coffee, and the coffee is strong and cheap) and with Injera

- Intriguing history (how come Christianity came to Ethiopia a thousand years ago but didn't go any further into Sub-Saharan Africa until the colonialists arrived?; how did it end up with its own unusual language? how did it manage to bear the Italians in a small war and not be colonised? How has it built such impressive infrastructure under the previous government, and now reforming so rapidly with the new government?)

It is very different to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa and well-worth visiting. 

Christmas holiday in Ethiopia - part 2

In Addis, mum and I then flew to Lalibela, which is famous for its rock-hewn churches from several hundred years ago, after Ethiopia became Christian. There are more than a dozen of them in various clusters, and with different designs depending on who was designing them at the time, and what the purpose of that church was.

Some of the churches were connected by caves or tunnels, and most were dug out of the rock, so they are quite hidden. When there was a ceremony on, as there was in St Mary's Church on St Mary's Day when we happened to be there, it was incredible with the ceremonies, changing and praying inside and outside the churches (many of which are very small). When the churches were otherwise empty it was also quite impressive to see the various carvings and designs used.

Lalibela itself is on the top of a cliff, fairly high-up, with some spectacular views of the valleys, and we stayed in a nice hotel there. We went to a bizarre restaurant (Ben Abeba) run by a Scottish Lady which is on the top of the hill and designed to merge into the hill, once the greenery has grown. We also went on a tour to another monastery a couple of hours away, giving us some views of the countryside, which is lacking any form of modern farming techniques. The monastery was built in a cave, and is very interesting, particularly the stories related to all the corpses buried in the back of the cave.

One morning we were there it was market day, and this was, as most markets are in developing countries, a fantastic experience with tens of thousands of people streaming through and also selling things. The market was open-air and had different sections for spices, animals, vegetables, clothes and all sorts. 

One evening we also had a chance to do a cooking class, learning how to make Injera (the kind of bread/pancake that is the Ethiopian staple) along with some of the dishes that are server on top of it (both meat and vegetables). Ethiopians eat this for most meals, most days. It's not too hard to cook, and does taste good (it is also cheap), though after a week or so, a Westerner may get somewhat bored of it and what to try something else. The cooking class was good - we were only the second customer since it was set up a couple of days earlier but a lady and her sister. 

Christmas holiday in Ethiopia - part 1

After a hectic couple of months I've managed to find some time to upload all my photos from my visit to Ethiopia (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adamsphotos/albums/72157705721949224), and share some thoughts on it.

Ethiopia has made a huge investment in its infrastructure in recent years, often built by Chinese companies, and during my time there, I can vouch for how much they have built. After flying into Mekele in Northern Ethiopia and joining a tour of mostly young couples from Europe, we drove for hours on brand new roads past only a few villages to (apparently) the hottest place on earth (measured by average temperature year-round) which is also one of the lowest. The Danakil Depression is really spectacular. Once we arrived in early afternoon we drove onto what is sort of the remains of lake, whilst also still being a lake.

In some parts, all the water has evaporated, leaving only salt, which you can drive on. In other parts, there is still water underneath the salt (think it of it like ice). As you drive up towards it the evaporation over the salt makes your eyes think there is actually water on top of the salt. For hundreds of years locals have dug up the salt and transported it hundreds of miles on camel to sell in markets. Nowadays there are not many people left still doing it, but there are some, and its fascinating seeing them working. Though a few do still go on camel all the way to markets, most get moved onto trucks once the camel gets off the salt plains to the village. We then stopped by a hole in the salt for a dip, which like the Dead Sea is so salty you float. 

Next, a short drive further along the "lake" to the real highlight which is the incredibly colorful eruptions coming out of some small hills. These are bright oranges, yellows, greens and everything in between from chemicals that are coming out of the geological fault lines and seem like paint on the salt floor, whilst also flowing down some small waterfalls in liquid form or erupting in small geysers. Its only a few square kilometers but it is unforgettable (it is also very hot) and really feels like being on Mars. After enjoying the sunset whilst drinking wine on the salt plains, we headed to our hut for dinner and then to the local bar (actually part of the police post), which of course was also the local TV-watching room. Our hut was literally a few wooden poles, and our beds were just like a deckchair, raised a few inches off the ground. We had a thin piece of cloth, but it was more for privacy than anything else as it was still 40 degrees overnight.

The next day was spent mostly in the car driving a massive U to get to a volcano. In a couple of years it will be possible to cut the 7 hour drive to an hour or two once the road is completed making the U a O. But for the moment that is what we did, arriving in the early evening at a camp at the foot of the Volcano; after dusk we commenced the 2 hour or so walk up the volcano to the top, where we had a look in the crater (trying to look past the sulphur smoke coming out) looking for the erupting lava. We slept, outside, on a mat on the floor just on the top of the crater, for a few hours and got up before dawn to go down to look at the crater again. We managed to peak some lava deep in the crater, but not a lot, as there was so much smoke and it was fairly dangerous. We got some spectacular photos of the crater and all the various solidified lava around it from different eruptions over the years, and then climbed back down the volcano. Unfortunately part of the drive to and from the base camp was possibly the bumpiest drive ever, over all the lava rocks, but eventually we left and headed back to the town, via a quick stop at a natural hot springs and a salty lake for a swim (some buoyancy from the salt but not as much as the salt water under the salt plains), and where I flew back to Addis to meet my mum.