In a world that is literally burning, whose moral fiber appears to be eroding exponentially, living in Xuzhou has been a blessing. There’s a kind of invisible veil one has by living in a place so physically and culturally distant from the ‘in your face headlines’ back home. The only things screaming out now are whatever appears in my social feeds. In other words, I now have more peace and tranquility simply by way of being here.
The Story Thus Far
It's been almost a year to the day since my last post on this blog. I don’t remember exactly why I stopped at the time. Maybe I had increasing work pressure, perhaps there was little interest. One reason for the blog was to keep up appearances, which I kind of did in house for a while then stopped altogether in the second half of last year.. It’s a shame I now have lost access to those short posts. Nonetheless, I aim to continue writing for writing’s sake and as a pastime I enjoy immensely. I aim to add some posts from the past 12 months to fill in specific gaps and also write on a regular basis going forward.
New Roads Bring New Views
I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively over the past year. I went to Beijing and Shanghai to retrace some steps, only to find the grass was quite a different shade from ten years prior. I visited nearby Kaifeng, an ancient cultural city whose heyday was during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). I also visited Hong Kong for the first time in many years, staying in the Wan Chai area on Hong Kong Island. In July 2025 I went to America for the first time, staying in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and New York. I switched employers at the start of 2026 and found myself enjoying the vast beaches of the Gold Coast while on a working holiday, before heading to coastal Da Nang and then on to Ho Chi Minh City. Lastly I enjoyed the sights and sounds of Bondi Beach on a hot summer’s day before jetting back last minute to the chilly confines of Xuzhou and to the most comfortable bed I’ve ever had.
Under The Blossom Tree, Even The Quiet Mind Finds A Mirror
It’s now the start of Week 3 of the new semester and I couldn’t be happier. I have great classes, am thoroughly enjoying the new curriculum, meeting new expats and discovering new places. I was asked early on by one of my students how many cities I’d been to in China. I wasn’t entirely sure, I thought maybe around 20. I did a proper count over the weekend and discovered it was actually 38 - no mean feat!
Over the past week the weather has got chilly again, akin to a bleak wintry day in Melbourne, although much drier. However, the blossom trees have started blooming. Around this time last year there was blossom everywhere - along the main University Road boulevard I live off, across campus, and covering half the little mountain behind my apartment complex. We’re not quite there yet but within a week or two when the temperature hits the high twenties, (in less than a fortnight it’s meant to be 28, currently it’s 10), the crowds will be out enjoying the vistas and the birds will happily be waking me up from their perch on my bedroom windowsill at 4.30am. Nonetheless, new friends have been made, cider on tap has been discovered and the enormous portion of chicken fried rice with a side of pickled chopped jalapenos is still delivered to my door within ten minutes of ordering (and is still delicious!
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