furniture malls of foshan

sprawling complexes selling everything you need to muscle up your home. and your office. fortunately we do not have a new place to shop for, HOM and i tell each other. otherwise one could go crazy shopping.

new coffee friend

so much for brand loyalty. on account of getting our directions mixed up we end up at cotti coffee which turns out to be cheaper than and just as satisfying as our previous mvp, luckin.

going green

the hotel does not turn on the heater at this time of year, the girl at the reception murmurs. but we have put you in the room with lots of sun to warm you up!

that's all very well for the day, girl, but what is one to do when the sun sets and the body shuts down?

i am all for energy efficiency and responsible consumption but man, is the cold bone chilling before the sun comes back up.

then and now

35 years apart almost to the day and i am amazed at how the place has leap-frogged into the modern age and beyond.

you can read all you want about sleeping dragons awakening and stuff but until you see for yourself the wonder does not sink in. and when you finally see it looks so in situ that you think it must have been like this all along. but actually it was not. not by a long shot. and if you are fortunate you get to realize that at least once in your lifetime.

final junket

on to our final trip before the nose returns to the grindstone. HOM and i quickly seek out supplies to augment our stay. we are clearly well-rehearsed and have a coherent focus.

dîner pour deux

back to tropical humidity E the dog our own bed and my trusty kitchen knife. traveling is fun but coming home is good too. HOM says we will plan actively to travel aggressively more in the coming year.

new day new year

to quote something from social media, the first resolution of the year should be to remember to write 26 instead of 25.

in other news, am jet-lagged brain-fogged and achy-bodied from the flight home yesterday and the neighborhood idiots shouting happy new year to all and sundry just after i manage to fall asleep last nite.