Smoking in Mongolia. More Difficult Than You’d Think.
After over a quarter of a century as a smoker, and a spectacularly misspent youth, I like to think that I have a nose for...
EscapeArtistes Blog
Welcome to Mongolia
The language barrier at the border is sudden and absolute. Chinese trains, buses and finally a taxi have brought us to the border, but we’ll...
In Xanadu…
There are some places on this earth that have a magic in their name. Samarkand. Timbuktu. Xanadu… And, as Xanadu is pretty much on the...
Chinese Hospitality in Changchun
“Do you have a hotel?” our now-ex-landlord asks, as her husband, Xiao Feng, chauffeurs us 45 minutes across town to the brand spanking new Harbin...
In Which We Hit the Road Again
It’s a wrench leaving Harbin, more than I’d thought it would be, and in the week running up to leaving I’m almost in denial. I...
Long Term Family Travel FAQs
There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of families out there around the world who are doing, or have done, long term travel –...
Getting the Seasons Wrong in Wudalianchi
“Can we see the cranes?” I ask Zhang Wei, in my still resolutely rubbish Chinese. “They’re not here,” he replies, driving at a pace so...
Signs of the Times: Chinglish Edition
The Communist Party of China, in its infinite wisdom, is about to remove one of the most reliable sources of visitor entertainment, the Chinglish sign....
Why We Won’t Continue the Chinese School Experiment
We committed to Chinese school for Zac on the apparently random basis that we would reassess when the time came up to renew our lease....
Some Thoughts on Chinese Algebra
Watching Family Guy last night, we hit the episode where Tricia Takanawa says: “Hi! I’m here with Stephen Hawking, the only white man I’ve ever...