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Last Tuesday Emme went for her grade 4 ABRSM cello exam. Just about a month before Christmas we decided that she would go for it. Ever since, she has worked hard to master Pieta Signore, Tom Bowling and Shephards Hey (her favorite) as well as scales, dominant 7ths, sight reading, singing and listening skills. In…

Writing distracts for a while. No phone. All day long I am reminded of my addiction to bite-sized visual snacks. Not only I suffer from this, of course. News, chats, emails, and the occasional phone call, they follow each other in rapid succession. It is unclear at the moment who the actors are: of course…

I was sent home by Kelly today at 4:15 PM. “So you don’t have to run to catch the train!” And indeed, I was able to take it easy, walking and enjoying the first signs of spring, tulip trees (Magnolia) whose first flower calyxes started to reveal themselves from the down cocoon in which they…

Sarcasm seems rare here. Quite difficult to grasp if you do not master a language well. Where to start? With self-mockery? From my point of view, that seems a safe bet. By highlighting a flaw in your own self-image, you create a moment of weakness, in other words, accessibility. Someone who realizes this reacts tactically…

Today for lunch: Jianbing. Filled with an egg, pickled vegetables, a fermented sauce and a cracker, this pancake makes an unpretentious but nutritious meal. For just 5 RMB you can buy one. Two is enough for me. In silence, dough is spread over a hot plate of about 50 cm in diameter, so that a…

Something arises out of nothing. This is often accepted with hesitation, as if that new something is not really possible. Or if it were, then its creation was in a place (if there was space) and time (if there was time) with little relevance to us, here and now. In any way, whether the big…

I (didn’t) make it to my train by a hair’s breadth. Gasping for breath, I’m in the G2781, checked in for the next train. Because the G2781 departs on the same platform and was still there when I ran up, I could still sneak in. As I write this, the tickets are being checked. I…

On a Monday like this, everything seems to slow down inside my skull. Both the left and right hemispheres seem to be pushing their way out. It’s subtle, but the pressure is noticeable. Painless, thankfully. But not without effect. Living in a country where the new year comes twice a year has advantages. Two times…

The train to Shanghai was almost empty. A few remaining travelers are making their way home, to parents or relatives, to spend the holidays. In these last days of the year of the dog, the stream of travelers has been more pertinent than any other new year season I’ve spent here. Shanghai Central has been…

Today while reading the CNN website (in a state between sleeping and waking I always mindlessly jump up and down between the NOS and CNN websites, which are both free) I came across an article about deep fake videos – videos about events that never took place, with the potential to distort reality in an…