10 June 2011 - Rat
As I walked past the bathroom this morning I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. When I went to investigate it turned out that what I had seen was a rat scurrying to safety behind a piece of plywood I had left leaning up against the wall. A rat in the bathroom is no big surprise to me since I am in the midst of installing a bath, sink and toilet hence all of the water outlets ...read more

09 March 2011 - Catching Up
One of the nice things about finishing an assignment - whether planned or unplanned - is that you get to catch up on all the things that have been slowing slipping into the area of 'low priority' or 'not part of earning your daily bread.' For one, there's updating my blog (which I'm doing right now). Another is to catch up with old friends (which I shall be doing so in earnest once I've written ...read more

26 October 2010 - I Wish I Was There
I know someone who is in China this month visiting some of the places that I visited almost two years ago. The village that I stayed in for five very cold days will - at some point in the near future - be turned into a city of apartment blocks. The land used for farming will disappear and the farmers re-housed. As I write this I am already formulating a plan to re-visit Weifang to document ...read more

01 August 2010 - Weifang
Anyone who knows me will be aware that I'm as much a film maker as I am a software developer. When I travel I always have a camera with me. In the winter of 2008 I visited Weifang in China for what was to be the coldest winter I ever spent anywhere. My friends have heard me talk about this so often now... about the solar powered water tank on the roof that delivered piping hot water but stopped ...read more