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Source: https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/feed

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<title>Covid U-turn in China</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2022 15:13:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Life in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China cancels zero covid]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19 in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[dynamic zero covid]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[fast changes]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4295</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I always follow the news from China very closely, and these past weeks I’ve been amazed by the speed at which changes are taking place there. I’m sure you heard about the protests… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>I always follow the news from China very closely, and these past weeks I’ve been amazed by the speed at which changes are taking place there.</p>
<p>I’m sure you heard about the protests that took place in China at the end of November. Textile workers rioting in Guangdong, protests because of the building block fire in Urumqi, vigils in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities. The government must have finally realized that many people were at breaking point and that they were risking a big unrest, and they finally started lifting covid restrictions. Or maybe they thought it was the perfect excuse to get rid of the dynamic zero covid policy. But the speed at which they’re doing it…</p>
<p>As of last month, China was officially very committed to dynamic zero covid and condemned “the West” (i.e. the rest of the world, as no country still had any covid restrictions in place) for “lying flat” and letting people die. Long covid was going to be the ruin of all countries that did not fight against the virus:</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg"><img width="720" height="265" data-attachment-id="4300" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/global-times-1/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg" data-orig-size="720,265" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="global-times-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg?w=720" alt="" class="wp-image-4300" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg 720w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-1.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headline from Chinese newspaper <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202210/1277172.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Times</a>. Notice the date.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg"><img width="730" height="303" data-attachment-id="4303" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/global-times-2/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg" data-orig-size="730,303" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="global-times-2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg?w=730" alt="" class="wp-image-4303" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg 730w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-2.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202208/1273239.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Link</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Just a few weeks later, somehow China is already prepared to open up and now <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202212/07/WS6390b615a31057c47eba331a.html" target="_blank">quarantine is voluntary</a>. Although one of my colleagues in Shanghai is currently doing forced quarantine in a hotel because one of her flatmates was positive, so not sure how “voluntary” is defined or if it applies to retroactive cases.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg"><img width="723" height="264" data-attachment-id="4305" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/global-times-3/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg" data-orig-size="723,264" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="global-times-3" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg?w=723" alt="" class="wp-image-4305" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg 723w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/global-times-3.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Notice how, in the span of 2 months, long covid has gone from being something you’d probably get, to something you most probably won’t get. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1281008.shtml" target="_blank">Link</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>I am obviously not against the opening up, but I have a lot of doubts regarding the official narrative. According to the Chinese government, China could not open up because many elderly people had not been vaccinated or boosted yet, and the country’s medical system would be overwhelmed if measures were relaxed and caused too many positive cases. So, have all elderly and at risk people get vaccinated and boosted yet? Have hospital capacity and UCI beds been reinforced and increased? If the answer was “no” last month, how can it be “yes” now? They had 3 years to work on that, and suddenly everything was done and finished in a couple of weeks? </p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="794" height="105" data-attachment-id="4307" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/scmp-1/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg" data-orig-size="794,105" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="scmp-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=794" alt="" class="wp-image-4307" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg 794w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/scmp-1.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This is from November 5. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3198578/china-will-hold-fast-zero-covid-central-health-officials-cite-winter-surge-fears" target="_blank">Link</a>. Now the dynamic zero covid policy is not even mentioned, like it never existed.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>So now people in China are divided into two groups, one who is so happy about restrictions being lifted that doesn’t even want to ask questions, and other in which people are scared of a virus which until two weeks ago was officially very dangerous, but now it’s nothing to worry about. Official media are now giving advice on what to do if you are infected. The problem is, in China people go to get an intravenous drip at the hospital for a common cold, so when they are covid positive, you can be sure they are going to flood hospitals, even if they barely have symptoms. But it’s something to be expected, no? They’ve been hearing for 3 years that covid kills.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="947" height="73" data-attachment-id="4310" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg" data-orig-size="947,73" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="wecom-screenshot_20221208152536" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=947" alt="" class="wp-image-4310" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg 947w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152536.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 947px) 100vw, 947px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Maybe now they’ll have to repeat this every day for 3 years before people start believing it. <a href="https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2212083782/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Link</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="699" height="230" data-attachment-id="4312" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg" data-orig-size="699,230" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="wecom-screenshot_20221208152710" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg?w=699" alt="" class="wp-image-4312" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg 699w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152710.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Last month they were the voice of reason, now they are trolls… <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nQ5-lYa0cPe-Swty9USRcA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Link</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="693" height="127" data-attachment-id="4314" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg" data-orig-size="693,127" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="wecom-screenshot_20221208152729" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg?w=693" alt="" class="wp-image-4314" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg 693w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/wecom-screenshot_20221208152729.jpg?w=300 300w" sizes="(max-width: 693px) 100vw, 693px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">What? Antibiotics? For a virus?</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Of one thing I’m sure: when hospitals start being overwhelmed and deaths start creeping up, for Chinese official media, it will be the West’s fault, because somehow the West forced China to open up and of course everybody behind the November protests was controlled by foreign agents. It was not that workers had been out of a job for too long, it was not that the urban youth was completely fed up with not being able to go anywhere, no, it was foreign spies who always wreak havoc in China. In fact, it’s the protestors’ fault for complaining about daily PCRs and quarantines!</p>
<p>Now Chinese people are very confused… They are used to things changing fast, but this surely broke all speed records.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4316" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/fjybkohwiaqilco/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg" data-orig-size="601,680" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fjybkohwiaqilco" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=265" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=601" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=601" alt="" class="wp-image-4316" width="323" height="365" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=323 323w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=133 133w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg?w=265 265w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjybkohwiaqilco.jpg 601w" sizes="(max-width: 323px) 100vw, 323px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Before: I go buy vegetables to prepare for quarantine. Now: I go buy medicine to prepare to have a fever.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4318" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg" data-orig-size="582,311" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fjyyowsuoaa2ybs" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=582" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=582" alt="" class="wp-image-4318" width="535" height="286" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=535 535w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/fjyyowsuoaa2ybs.jpg 582w" sizes="(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The people: “When will we open up?” Beijing: “Ten” The people: “Ten months? Ten weeks?” Beijing: “Nine, eight, seven…”</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="395" height="666" data-attachment-id="4320" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/li-dian-dian-1/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg" data-orig-size="395,666" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="li-dian-dian-1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg?w=178" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg?w=395" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg?w=395" alt="" class="wp-image-4320" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg 395w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg?w=89 89w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-1.jpg?w=178 178w" sizes="(max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Before: “No! We don’t want!” (PCR tests or quarantine). Now: “You don’t care about us or what?”</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="315" height="647" data-attachment-id="4322" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/covid-u-turn-in-china/li-dian-dian-2/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg" data-orig-size="315,647" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="li-dian-dian-2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg?w=146" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg?w=315" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg?w=315" alt="" class="wp-image-4322" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg 315w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg?w=73 73w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/li-dian-dian-2.jpg?w=146 146w" sizes="(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">When my block was locked down: “Let me go! It’s safe outside!”. After opening up: “No, I don’t want to go out! It’s dangerous outside!”</figcaption></figure></div>
<p></p>
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<title>Trip to Lisbon</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Oct 2022 14:22:28 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[family fun]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lisbon]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lisbon with kids]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[portugal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Quinta da Regaleira]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sintra]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4259</guid>
<description><![CDATA[At the beginning of October, I had some days off because of the Chinese national holidays (even though I’m not in China anymore, I follow the Chinese work calendar), so we decided to… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>At the beginning of October, I had some days off because of the Chinese national holidays (even though I’m not in China anymore, I follow the Chinese work calendar), so we decided to visit Lisbon. It is actually quite close to my hometown (a bit over 3 hours by car), but for some reason I’d only been there once when I was 10 years old.</p>
<p>Have you ever been to Lisbon? It seems that it’s become very popular in the last few years. Indeed, there were a lot of tourists! We had summer weather during our whole visit, and I think this is going to be the hottest October ever recorded in many parts of Europe.</p>
<p>Lisbon is quite hilly and full of quaint little streets.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4263" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1359/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664620823","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00088967971530249","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.713691666667","longitude":"-9.1398277777778"}" data-image-title="IMG_1359" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4263" width="421" height="561" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=421 421w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=842 842w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1359.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4265" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1371/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664633786","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00035498757543486","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.712197222222","longitude":"-9.1325777777778"}" data-image-title="IMG_1371" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4265" width="414" height="552" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=414 414w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=828 828w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1371.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4275" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1427/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664823160","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0082644628099174","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.717041666667","longitude":"-9.1550138888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_1427" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4275" width="422" height="563" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=422 422w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=844 844w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1427.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 422px) 100vw, 422px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tiled houses are very Portuguese!</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Because there are so many hills and slopes, Lisbon has lovely old trams and even street elevators.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4269" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1391/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664647617","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"125","shutter_speed":"0.0125","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.711605555556","longitude":"-9.1305138888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_1391" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4269" width="441" height="588" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=441 441w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=882 882w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1391.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trams are usually full, but we were lucky! (Also, we took one that was going down, not up).</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4264" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1361/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664621324","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00045808520384792","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.712191666667","longitude":"-9.1390277777778"}" data-image-title="IMG_1361" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4264" width="454" height="606" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=454 454w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=908 908w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1361.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 454px) 100vw, 454px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">It can’t be seen in the picture, but behind the upper part of the elevator there’s a foot bridge that connects with a street. We didn’t go up because there was a crazy line.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>The most typical thing to do in Lisbon is… enjoying the views! With so many hills, there are many lookouts.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4266" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1374/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664635139","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00020798668885191","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.711916666667","longitude":"-9.1340361111111"}" data-image-title="IMG_1374" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4266" width="655" height="491" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=655 655w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1374.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4268" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1383/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664640747","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00013900472616069","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.712775","longitude":"-9.1315194444444"}" data-image-title="IMG_1383" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4268" width="657" height="493" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=657 657w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1383.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>The first day, we visited the Praça do Comércio and we went up on the arch to enjoy the views (very few tourists, bonus points). Later we went to the castle that overlooks the city and that is dedicated to St. George.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4267" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1380/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664638700","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00045004500450045","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.713611111111","longitude":"-9.1332333333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1380" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4267" width="496" height="661" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=496 496w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1380.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The castle was nothing special, but the gardens were quite nice, with a great view and peacocks!</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Another day we went to the Science Museum and the aquarium. The Science Museum is perfect for children, there is a room with a circus theme and play things to touch and try. Adults are welcome to try too! I tried a nail bed. After I lied on it, the staff pushed a lever and nails went up! So fakirs don’t have any special powers, it’s just science!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4271" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1395/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664714133","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"250","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.76245","longitude":"-9.0962583333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1395" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4271" width="622" height="467" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=622 622w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=1244 1244w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1395.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4270" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1394/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664714104","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.76245","longitude":"-9.0962583333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1394" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4270" width="628" height="471" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=628 628w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=1256 1256w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1394.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Children loved this house building activity.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>The aquarium is pretty cool, and together with the Science Museum you can spend a whole day. We also rode the popular cable car that goes along the river. Do you know what we saw from up there? HUNDREDS of jellyfish!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4272" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1407/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664726167","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"64","shutter_speed":"0.01","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.764861111111","longitude":"-9.0921888888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_1407" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4272" width="639" height="479" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=639 639w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=1278 1278w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1407.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px" /></a></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4277" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_7783/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664727737","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"320","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7783" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4277" width="646" height="484" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=646 646w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7783.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>Another day we went to the Belem district, where there’s a famous tower, a monastery and the most popular pastries in Portugal (egg tarts).</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4280" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_7886/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664887152","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00011700011700012","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7886" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4280" width="622" height="467" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=622 622w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=1244 1244w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7886.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>Apart from Lisbon, we also went on a day trip to Sintra, a nearby town which is famous for its castles and palaces. We visited the Quinta da Regaleira, a big mountain garden with a palace and other buildings in a very particular style.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4273" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1415/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664799241","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00044091710758377","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.795175","longitude":"-9.3958277777778"}" data-image-title="IMG_1415" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4273" width="465" height="620" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=465 465w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=930 930w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1415.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Normal tower.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4274" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_1420/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664801565","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"250","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"38.794533333333","longitude":"-9.3971333333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1420" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4274" width="469" height="625" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=469 469w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=938 938w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_1420.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Initiation well. It seems the wealthy owner of this place was a Freemason.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4278" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_7843/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664804783","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00032404406999352","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7843" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4278" width="488" height="651" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=488 488w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7843.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 488px) 100vw, 488px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>But the most surprising thing we saw in Lisbon was… a falcon being used to keep the pigeons away in the middle of the city!</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4279" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/21/trip-to-lisbon/img_7849/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1664878093","copyright":"","focal_length":"7.5","iso":"20","shutter_speed":"0.0039525691699605","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7849" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4279" width="504" height="672" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=504 504w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/img_7849.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" /></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>The business of education in China</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2022 14:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Life in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Life in Spain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[after-school classes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[education as a business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[education in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[extracurricular classes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[raising a child in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4242</guid>
<description><![CDATA[China is well known for the pressure students are subjected to. Education is a rat race in there and basically all children attend lots of after-school classes because they have to be the… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>China is well known for the pressure students are subjected to. Education is a rat race in there and basically all children attend lots of after-school classes because they have to be the best or risk not being able to go to a good high school and later to a good university. Having a child that is a blue collar worker, even if they are highly skilled technicians, is a disgrace for middle and upper class Chinese parents, so many children don’t do anything apart from going to multiple classes and studying to try to get to a good university. I wrote about this several years ago in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/no-country-for-teenagers/" target="_blank">this post</a>. Re-reading the comments, I see that I wrote that, if I had a child, I’d send them to study in Spain. Later on, I changed my mind and thought that the best was for him to attend at least some years of school in China, so he could learn to write Chinese. Now, with everything that has happened and our unexpected move to Spain, I don’t care about that anymore. If we end up going back to Suzhou, I don’t want my child to attend a public Chinese school, of that I’m sure.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4251" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/nimg-ws-126/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg" data-orig-size="660,326" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="nimg.ws.126" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=660" alt="" class="wp-image-4251" width="582" height="287" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=582 582w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/nimg.ws_.126.jpg 660w" sizes="(max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Picture from <a href="https://www.163.com/dy/article/GDL2Q22M05373IB2.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">163.com</a></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Maybe you’ve heard that, a few years ago, the Chinese government decided that it was necessary to reduce the academic burden on children, so they banned extracurricular classes that were academic in nature (sports, arts and the like are still permitted). Many after-school companies went down the drain and lots of teachers lost their jobs. Now, a few years later, are Chinese children any more free? Hehe, that’s a good one. After-school classes were banned, but school curricula were not modified, and the university entrance exam is still the same, so in practice nothing has changed. Except that now families have to look for “underground” classes and pay more money for them. If the policy objective was eliminating the advantages that wealthy and urban families, with more money and resources, have over poor and rural families, the result has been the exact opposite. Rich kids are still attending after-school classes, and for poor kids it’s more difficult than before.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4253" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg" data-orig-size="640,512" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=640" alt="" class="wp-image-4253" width="524" height="419" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=524 524w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/b8389b504fc2d562d179d6de0ec586e877c66cef.jpeg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image from <a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1674348631226347689" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>When we were still in Suzhou, A. was very young, so he didn’t attend any class. That doesn’t mean there are no classes for babies. It’s China, of course there are! I even saw adverts for Baby CEO classes, whatever the crap that is (it sounds like a complete scam to me), and the gym, English and music classes for babies are ubiquitous. Their marketing people exploit parents’ anxieties and make them believe their children will “lose at the starting line” if they don’t attend baby classes, so they end up forking out 10,000 yuan for a yearly program. With some math, you realize that those classes cost over 200 RMB each (aprox. 30 EUR), which is frankly ridiculous as they are not 1 on 1 classes.</p>
<p>In Suzhou Center, the trendiest mall, there was a swimming gym for babies. Yes, one of those places where the baby wears a floatie on their neck and is put on a pool a bit bigger than a bath tub. Do you know how much each class was? 500 frigging yuan. Over 70 EUR!! Was the pool filled with Evian???</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4250" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/10/06/the-business-of-education-in-china/attachment/800/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg" data-orig-size="450,600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="800" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=450" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=450" alt="" class="wp-image-4250" width="337" height="449" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=337 337w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/10/800.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Seriously, who is paying 500 yuan per hour for this?? Picture from <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://baike.sogou.com/v324659.htm" target="_blank">Sougou Baike</a>.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Close to where we lived, there was also a taekwondo school. Not long ago, I saw one of their adverts in WeChat: a package of 10 classes for 1500 yuan. Better than the pool, but still… that’s 215 EUR per month.</p>
<p>Let’s compare it with the prices of after-school classes in Spain. Since the beginning of this year, A. has been attending swimming lessons in the nicest gym in town. How much is the bill? 47.50 EUR per month, 2 classes per week, with a limit of 11 children per group. Also, his school (public school) is offering several after-school classes this year: skating, taekwondo, volleyball, basketball, creative design, chess and modern dance, twice a week. The price? 20 EUR per month per class.</p>
<p>The Chinese government has been trying for years to encourage people to have more children, and people are showing them the middle finger. The main reason (apart from some people, especially women, who simply don’t want to have kids) is that raising a child is too expensive in China. Education is a business, and a very profitable one, it seems. And don’t get me started on international schools that charge exorbitant fees and then have moms teaching classes, so their children can attend the school for free. If I am paying <s>20,000+</s> 30,000 EUR per year (thanks Johannes for the updated figure), I expect to have no less than PhDs with over 10 years of experience as teachers, not some random mom who just completed an online teaching certification!</p>
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<title>My 20th Chineseversary</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:32:46 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Chinese language]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[language learning]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[learn Chinese]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Mandarin Chinese]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[study chinese]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[why I started learning Chinese]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4106</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A couple of days ago, I suddenly realized that 2022 marks 20 years since I started studying Chinese. First thought: Has it really been that long? Second thought: Now I’ve spent a longer… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>A couple of days ago, I suddenly realized that 2022 marks 20 years since I started studying Chinese.</p>
<p>First thought: Has it really been that long?</p>
<p>Second thought: Now I’ve spent a longer part of my lifetime knowing Chinese than not knowing it!</p>
<p>Third thought: Boy, I’m so old!</p>
<p>I don’t remember if I’ve ever said here that I started studying Chinese completely by chance. It had not occurred to me that “Chinese is the language of the future” and I wasn’t “fascinated by Chinese culture since I was a child” nor was I “a fan of manga and anime but my grade didn’t allow me to study Japanese so I chose Chinese instead” (to mention three of the most common reasons for studying Chinese that I’ve heard). I didn’t have any previous interest in studying Chinese, and I simply chose it because I needed a third foreign language in my translation studies and the faculty secretary told me that the Chinese teacher was very nice and everybody passed the exams. So Chinese was it! If it wasn’t for that comment, I would have probably just chosen French or Portuguese, which I had studied briefly in school. Hey, I should track down that woman and send her a thank you gift! </p>
<p>It seems that, when I started studying Chinese, there weren’t many schools in Spain teaching it. My university was one of only three offering this language. There weren’t many available teaching materials either, and none of them were specifically for Spanish speaking students. We used a textbook published in China and with explanations in English. Back then, buying things from the other side of the world wasn’t very common either, so our textbook was photocopied and bound like a notebook.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4231" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/wechat-image_20220913160939/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg" data-orig-size="1276,1702" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="WeChat Image_20220913160939" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4231" width="535" height="713" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=535 535w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=1070 1070w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=112 112w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160939.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">“I’m sorry, mr. Copyright Police, I didn’t want to do it, the school forced me to”.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4232" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/wechat-image_20220913160951/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg" data-orig-size="1702,1276" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="WeChat Image_20220913160951" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4232" width="521" height="390" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=521 521w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=1040 1040w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/wechat-image_20220913160951.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>The first year teacher was very nice indeed. He was a middle-aged man from Xi’an who played the violin and sometimes played in class. I think he tried to make lessons fun and not too difficult so people would continue studying Mandarin. In the second year, for one semester we had a female teacher who came from China on exchange. I don’t remember her lessons, just that one day she invited us over to her place to make dumplings. The other semester it was a Spanish man who had lived in China for many years. He spent the whole 2 hour class speaking Chinese. It was exhausting!</p>
<p>In the first year, there were 60 students or so; by the fourth year, only 7 or 8 remained. People that only chose the subject for the credits obviously didn’t stay long. We didn’t study Chinese language per se in the last two years, but rather translation. Many of the texts we translated for practice were stories about the meaning of chengyu or Chinese proverbs (such as <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.bds-cn.com/en/whjl/2016/chengyugushi_0115/1079.html" target="_blank">drawing a snake and adding feet</a>).</p>
<p>A few days ago, a friend asked me how people find characters in the dictionary, and it is indeed a very good question. In those times (I sound like a grandma), the internet was not as widely used as it is now and we all had paper dictionaries (the Chinese-English one that I had was very heavy). We dedicated a couple of lessons to learn how to use it, because it was quite complicated. First you have to deduce which part of the character is the radical, then count the strokes in the radical, then go to the list where all radicals are arranged by stroke count, and finally go to the page indicated in that list and find the word you are looking for. Phew! Online dictionaries are way faster and more convenient!</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4230" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/09/15/my-20th-chineseversary/olympus-digital-camera-26/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg" data-orig-size="600,800" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"C150,D390","caption":"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA","created_timestamp":"1099145825","copyright":"","focal_length":"5","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.0333","title":"OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA</p>
" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=600" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=600" alt="" class="wp-image-4230" width="324" height="432" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=324 324w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/09/pa300002.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The dictionary I used.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p><em>Have you ever learned another language? What made you choose it?</em></p>
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<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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<title>Roman ruins by the beach</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:13:07 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Life in Spain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Baelo Claudia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Bolonia beach]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Cádiz]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Roman ruins]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[travel in Spain]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[weekend plans]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4196</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Like last year, we also spent this summer in our apartment by the beach, in the southwest coast of Spain. It’s right by the sea and on the ground floor, so we don’t… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>Like last year, we also spent this summer in our apartment by the beach, in the southwest coast of Spain. It’s right by the sea and on the ground floor, so we don’t need air conditioning and we have barely felt this summer’s heatwaves that have affected most of Spain. We were so comfy here that we didn’t go on as many trips as I wanted… But a couple of weekends ago we managed to break the routine and went on a day trip to some relatively close Roman ruins (1.5 hours by car).</p>
<p>Roman ruins are a fairly common occurrence in Spain (in some cities, they can’t even dig a hole in the ground without finding something) but these ones are pretty special because they are right by a gorgeous beach. Those Romans sure knew how to choose a good place!</p>
<p>The town was called <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baelo_Claudia" target="_blank">Baelo Claudia</a> and was an important port of trade, as it was very close to North Africa. Fish salting was also a major industry there. It seems there was an earthquake at the end of the 2nd century, and then a tsunami that wiped out most of the place. Yes, tsunamis in Spain! There was also one in this area after the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake" target="_blank">Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755</a>.</p>
<p>The ruins were quite interesting, and the views were amazing!</p>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4202" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1120/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661081859","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00022502250225023","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.09015","longitude":"-5.7705888888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_1120" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4202" width="635" height="476" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=635 635w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=1270 1270w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1120.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The entrance to the Roman ruins. I think the mountains over the sea are Africa.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4203" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1124/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661082646","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00029403116730373","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.089755555556","longitude":"-5.7714583333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1124" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4203" width="642" height="482" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=642 642w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1124.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This beautiful beach is called Bolonia. On the right you can see a huge sand dune.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4204" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1125/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661082771","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00063897763578275","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.09015","longitude":"-5.7722944444444"}" data-image-title="IMG_1125" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4204" width="646" height="485" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=646 646w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1125.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I loved this “window” in the little museum beside the ruins.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4205" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1127/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661083362","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00035498757543486","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.090366666667","longitude":"-5.7728333333333"}" data-image-title="IMG_1127" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4205" width="502" height="669" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=502 502w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1127.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Remains of the aqueduct that the town used.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4206" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1129/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661084100","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00025100401606426","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.089205555556","longitude":"-5.7750194444444"}" data-image-title="IMG_1129" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4206" width="612" height="459" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=612 612w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=1224 1224w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1129.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 612px) 100vw, 612px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Central square and temple. There was also a Roman theatre but we could not visit it because there was a festival going on those days (yes, old Roman theatres <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://youtu.be/2APrP0BGi6I?t=161" target="_blank">are still used</a>!)</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4207" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1130/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661084439","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00026001040041602","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.08945","longitude":"-5.7748694444444"}" data-image-title="IMG_1130" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4207" width="657" height="493" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=657 657w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1130.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Temple of Isis (yes, the Egyptian goddess)</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4208" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1133/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661084871","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00023397285914834","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.088658333333","longitude":"-5.7753388888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_1133" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4208" width="499" height="665" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=499 499w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1133.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">These were the salting industries of the town.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4209" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/img_1135/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1661085682","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00023397285914834","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"36.090538888889","longitude":"-5.775"}" data-image-title="IMG_1135" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4209" width="516" height="688" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=516 516w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_1135.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A town with a view.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4201" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/29/roman-ruins-by-the-beach/bjfd2505/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg" data-orig-size="1200,1600" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="BJFD2505" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4201" width="455" height="607" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=455 455w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=910 910w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/bjfd2505.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our tourist looks, haha.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>And I can’t finish this post without saying “What have the Romans ever done for us?”, right?</p>
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<title>Family trip to London</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:41:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Brexit]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[family fun]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[travelling with children]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4167</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Whew, it’s been a while since the last time I updated the blog! I’d never taken such a long break before. Oh, and I also stopped Instagramming. Am I the only one who… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Whew, it’s been a while since the last time I updated the blog! I’d never taken such a long break before. Oh, and I also stopped Instagramming. Am I the only one who only sees ads there? Social media is very boring now. It was nice to see pics from friends, but now I only have random people dancing or applying make up, and too many sponsored posts. Maybe it’s just that I’m getting old and I don’t get what young people like nowadays. But, anyway, why did I stop blogging? Well, it was a combination of work being absolutely crazy since April and the feeling that I don’t have much to tell now that I’m in Spain and this blog is supposed to be about China. The first problem is supposedly getting better soon, but the second one remains. Well, maybe I’ll change the blog name to “Marta used to live in China” and just write about what I feel like.</p>
<p>I’ve been MIA for 4 months, so I do have a few things to tell now. I’ll start with the London visit we did in April, the only international outing we’ve had in the past year if we don’t count going to Portugal for lunch (my hometown is close to the Portuguese border). My husband C. had to go to London for some meetings, so we decided to take some days off and have a family trip. I was quite doubtful we would make it because, as a Chinese citizen, C. needs a visa to go to the UK. The application required a lot of paperwork; was VERY expensive, even more so because going to London was a bit of a last minute decision and he applied for the express service; and required that he went in person to Madrid. Well, in the end he got the visa and we spent some days there.</p>
<p>The first thing I noticed when we arrived was Brexit. Now EU citizens need their passport to go to the UK (before we just needed our national ID, as in any other European Union country). This isn’t a problem for adults as they can use the automated passport control, but children have to go though the in person control. So we were sent to the “family queue”, which was long and not family friendly at all. It was the Easter week and there were just 2 or 3 staff checking passports. We had to wait for an hour. My only consolation is that now all the British people that voted for Brexit will have long queues as well when they go to Europe on holidays (and I’m very sorry for the ones that voted against it).</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4171" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0342/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649877526","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"500","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.47185","longitude":"-0.48683611111111"}" data-image-title="img_0342" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4171" width="398" height="531" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=398 398w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=796 796w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0342.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>London is a very beautiful city and C. absolutely loved it (except when it was very crowded in the city center, haha). We had amazing weather (it didn’t rain at all in several days and it was even hot!) and walked around the famous sights, visited the Science Museum and the HMS Belfast, a warship from the Second World War that is now a museum. We also went to iconic shops like Waterstone’s (books), Hamley’s (toys), Lego and M&M’s and sunbathed on the grass in Hyde Park and St. James’s Park. We also went to an extremely cute <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.puppetbarge.com/" target="_blank">puppet theater</a> and it was great, although the play was at 3 pm and Baby A. fell asleep as soon as the lights went down.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4182" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5817-2/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649934945","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0001690045631232","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5817" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4182" width="639" height="479" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=639 639w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=1278 1278w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5817.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An iconic view of London.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4181" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5815/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649934712","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00017799928800285","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5815" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4181" width="635" height="476" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=635 635w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=1270 1270w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5815.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4183" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5834/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649948700","copyright":"","focal_length":"1.54","iso":"25","shutter_speed":"0.00048007681228997","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5834" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4183" width="636" height="477" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=636 636w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=1272 1272w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5834.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The HMS Belfast, a very interesting visit.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4184" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5839-2/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649951501","copyright":"","focal_length":"1.54","iso":"640","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5839" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4184" width="637" height="478" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=637 637w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=1274 1274w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5839.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside the warship. Everything was very well preserved.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4173" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0360/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649938430","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00076923076923077","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.508441666667","longitude":"-0.10371944444444"}" data-image-title="IMG_0360" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4173" width="657" height="493" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=657 657w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0360.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Watching a street performer with puppets.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4180" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5793/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1649933546","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0011961722488038","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5793" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4180" width="435" height="580" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=435 435w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=870 870w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5793.jpg?w=225 225w" sizes="(max-width: 435px) 100vw, 435px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Riding a double-decker bus, one of the cheapest and more entertaining things to do with kids in London.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4185" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5877/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650020616","copyright":"","focal_length":"1.54","iso":"25","shutter_speed":"0.001001001001001","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5877" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4185" width="605" height="454" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=605 605w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=1210 1210w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5877.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 605px) 100vw, 605px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Watching the animals is also free. Most other things in London are (very) expensive.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4179" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0422/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650051844","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0094339622641509","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.509902777778","longitude":"-0.13605555555556"}" data-image-title="IMG_0422" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4179" width="515" height="687" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=515 515w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0422.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px" /></a></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4186" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_5959/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.6","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 12 Pro Max","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650194756","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00029904306220096","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5959" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4186" width="646" height="485" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=646 646w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_5959.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chinatown! The closest to China we’re going to be this year. I learned that Chinatown is 唐人街 in Chinese, which translates as <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Tang_Dynasty/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tang</a> people street.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4177" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0403/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650029617","copyright":"","focal_length":"1.54","iso":"20","shutter_speed":"0.0025641025641026","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.512925","longitude":"-0.18778888888889"}" data-image-title="IMG_0403" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4177" width="518" height="691" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=518 518w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0403.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">I’m glad I’m not into bubble tea anymore, because it is so expensive in Europe.</figcaption></figure></div>
<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4174" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0398/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650022615","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00032894736842105","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.509247222222","longitude":"-0.187975"}" data-image-title="IMG_0398" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4174" width="539" height="719" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=539 539w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0398.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Even the playground was crowded!</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>We also ate a lot of international food that is not available in our small town. We had authentic Chinese, Haidilao (one of China’s most popular hot pot restaurants), Thai and Georgian food. In case you are curious, yes, Baby A. eats everything! (Just not in big quantities).</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4178" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0421/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg" data-orig-size="1280,960" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650046581","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.510188888889","longitude":"-0.13278611111111"}" data-image-title="IMG_0421" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4178" width="535" height="401" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=535 535w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=1070 1070w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0421.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hot pot!</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4175" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0401/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650026388","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"320","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.511452777778","longitude":"-0.18728611111111"}" data-image-title="IMG_0401" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4175" width="535" height="713" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=535 535w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0401.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lunch set in the Thai restaurant.</figcaption></figure></div>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4176" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/08/16/family-trip-to-london/img_0402/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg" data-orig-size="960,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 11","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1650029323","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.25","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.00061387354205034","title":"","orientation":"1","latitude":"51.511197222222","longitude":"-0.187275"}" data-image-title="IMG_0402" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4176" width="532" height="709" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=532 532w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/img_0402.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 532px) 100vw, 532px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">As it was so warm, Baby A. has his first ice lolly of the year.</figcaption></figure></div>]]></content:encoded>
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<title>The Shanghai lockdown</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2022 12:45:58 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19 in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19 outbreaks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Omicron in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[shanghai]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Shanghai lockdown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Voices of April]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4140</guid>
<description><![CDATA[At this point, I think everybody has heard about the lockdown in Shanghai, but I will recap it briefly just in case someone doesn’t follow the news: Shanghai, a city with a population… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>At this point, I think everybody has heard about the lockdown in Shanghai, but I will recap it briefly just in case someone doesn’t follow the news: Shanghai, a city with a population of 25 million, has been in lockdown since the beginning of April (in some parts, since the 20th something of March) due to an Omicron outbreak.</p>
<p>It is interesting to remember that, before the lockdown, the local government had declared there would be no lockdown because Shanghai was too important economically speaking or whatever. Someone who said on social media that Shanghai was going to enter lockdown was detained for spreading rumours. There is now a joke in Chinese social media: A guy is walking on the street and a hazmat-clad guard stops him. “What are you doing outside? Don’t you know the whole city is locked down?”. “Locked down? No, I didn’t know. I have been in detention for 3 weeks because I said the city was going to be locked down and I just came out”.</p>
<p>I don’t want to argue if the lockdown is a good idea or not. China had not had a big outbreak since Wuhan and they don’t want to risk having hundreds of thousands of deaths, like other countries had at the beginning of the pandemic. A big majority of Chinese people agree that they need to take a hard stance against outbreaks because their health system would not be able to cope with huge numbers of infections. It would be a good discussion topic to ask why elderly people were not prioritized for vaccination (when I got my shots in Suzhou a year ago, over 60s were discouraged from vaccinating because the Chinese vaccines had not been tested in old people) and why China has until now not imported Western vaccines, which offer better protection.</p>
<p>But in Shanghai, everything has been done in the worst way possible.</p>
<p>They did not want to admit the city was going to be locked down after all, so they said there would be two partial lockdowns: first Pudong (which is the eastern half of Shanghai, a city divided by a river) would be locked for 5 days and then Puxi (the western half) for another 5 days. People prepared supplies for a few days. Then… heheh, the lockdown was extended indefinitely and people found themselves with no food and unable to go outside to buy groceries. Because, in China, lockdown is for real. Don’t even think of going to the supermarket, walking the dog or taking a stroll in the park. People would wake up at 5 or 6 am to try and place an order in online supermarkets. With limited delivery staff, only a handful of people were able to proceed with their order.</p>
<p>Then the local governments in each district started sending emergency relief packs with food and other essentials, but not everybody received them. There were calls from desperate people to the Shanghai hotline or the emergency services because they had no food left. Then some people started receiving dubious packed goods, with rotten food, fake brands imitating well known ones, expiration dates that came from the future and so on. Who knows where the local governments were getting those products from?</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4154" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/wechat-image_20220427135820/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg" data-orig-size="1024,632" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeChat Image_20220427135820" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4154" width="635" height="392" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=635 635w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135820.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px" /></a><figcaption>Shanghai skyline with groceries. Image by some bored, locked down Shanghainese.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Everybody was complaning about the absolute clusterfuck that were Shanghai pandemic logistics. Every day there were new articles on WeChat that were furiously shared by Chinese netizens, only to see them “harmonized” (i.e. censored) a few hours later. The straw that broke the camel’s back was a video titled The Voices of April (<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtJzvJBZZ4M" target="_blank">here with English subtitles</a>) in which there were several extracts from real phone conversations. People saying that they didn’t have any food left; a mother crying for help because her child had a fever; a 90 year old man who needed to go to the hospital phoning his community representative, who subsequently told him he was desperate and couldn’t do anything to help him as his superiors were not answering him. But also neighbours helping each other, and police and voluntaries trying to do their best. People who watched it were absolutely in tears (I was, too). When this video, which was not saying anything against the government and didn’t include anything that wasn’t true was deleted, one time after another, because many people reuploaded it, everybody was super angry (although only online, of course, no one went outside to light fires) and started looking for ways to bypass the censorship while talking about the video. One of my WeChat contacts shared a (very timely) video in which Hua Chunying, of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says: “There are 1.4 billion people in China and each of them has their own brain and their own opinions, and each of them also has the right to express their opinions on the internet”. Just WOW, whoever remembered that video and shared it at that precise moment was a frigging genius, haha. By the way, Hua Chunying was referring to that time when Chinese internet users were bashing the clothes brand H&M because they announced they would not be using cotton from Xinjiang.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4156" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/censurado/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg" data-orig-size="720,268" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="censurado" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=720" alt="" class="wp-image-4156" width="528" height="196" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=528 528w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/censurado.jpg 720w" sizes="(max-width: 528px) 100vw, 528px" /></a><figcaption>Message you get in WeChat when trying to open an article that has been “harmonized”.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>There was also the fact that everybody who was positive, including very old and disabled people, was sent to a “quarantine camp” even if they were asymptomatic. It seems also close contacts, which were not positive (yet) were sent there (and ended up being positive, of course). In those camps the conditions were quite bad, to say the least, and it seems there wasn’t even any medical staff checking on people. Oh, and at the beginning some brilliant mind thought it was a good idea to put positive children in quarantine alone, away from their negative parents. And then fences started to be erected blocking buildings’ doors (not a fire risk, at all) or in the streets, in case people had not noticed there are actually in lockdown jail.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4160" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg" data-orig-size="291,521" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeCom Screenshot_20220427144301" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg?w=168" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg?w=291" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg?w=291" alt="" class="wp-image-4160" width="231" height="414" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg?w=231 231w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg?w=84 84w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wecom-screenshot_20220427144301.jpg 291w" sizes="(max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px" /></a></figure></div>
<p>The truth is, when I reread all that I have just written, I wonder how Shanghai residents are so patient. I think I would have killed someone by now if I was there (or maybe I would phone a poor volunteer and say the word “fuck” 30 times, <a href="https://www.whatsonweibo.com/the-german-expat-phone-call-that-went-viral-in-shanghai-full-transcript/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">like this German man</a>).</p>
<p>And now it seems the story is starting in Beijing… but I am sure they have learned their lesson and the mistakes made in Shanghai will not be repeated. Let’s hope so, because it surely doesn’t look like China is going to change strategy any time soon… at least not until the CCP’s meeting in October or November when Xi Jinping is going to be “reelected” for an unprecedented third term.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4155" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/the-shanghai-lockdown/wechat-image_20220427135859/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg" data-orig-size="768,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeChat Image_20220427135859" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=225" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-4155" width="387" height="516" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=387 387w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=113 113w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg?w=225 225w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/wechat-image_20220427135859.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 387px) 100vw, 387px" /></a><figcaption>Many people in <strong>Suzhou </strong>(which is 80 km away from Shanghai) are documenting their mass COVID tests every day. A colleague shared this picture of her 30th test.</figcaption></figure></div>]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Jin Ping Mei: A Chinese classic</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2022 14:05:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[books about China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Chinese classics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Chinese literature]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jin Ping Mei]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[reading]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4122</guid>
<description><![CDATA[During these past couple of months, my reading time was occupied by a Chinese classic novel called Jin Ping Mei. You’ve never heard of it? Understandable. It’s not as famous as Journey to… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>During these past couple of months, my reading time was occupied by a Chinese classic novel called Jin Ping Mei. You’ve never heard of it? Understandable. It’s not as famous as Journey to the West or Dream of the Red Chamber, and I think there is only one reason for that and it’s not its literary quality, but the simple fact that, unlike any other Chinese classic, in Jin Ping Mei there are very explicit sex scenes, and lots of them (also illustrations!). Because the book was considered scandalous and pornographic, it was banned for a long time, although many educated people managed to get their hands on it. Its author and exact date of publication are unknown, but the manuscript was already circulating by the end of the 16th century.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4132" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/jin_ping_mei_chapt4/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg" data-orig-size="1024,1635" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Jin_Ping_Mei_chapt4" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=188" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=641" alt="" class="wp-image-4132" width="417" height="666" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=641 641w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=417 417w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=834 834w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=94 94w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=188 188w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/jin_ping_mei_chapt4.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px" /></a><figcaption>Gradnma Wang keeping watch while Pan Jinlian and Ximen Qing get into it.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>I had heard about Jin Ping Mei during my college years and for some reason I had imagined it was a short novel. Imagine my surprise when I found it in my local library and it was 1200 pages! And then later on I realized that was just book 1, and book 2 was another 1600! </p>
<p>Jin Ping Mei is presented as a spin-off from Water Margin (which I read last year!). Pan Jinlian (the “Jin” in Jin Ping Mei, which refers to three of the female characters) is a minor character in Water Margin and here she’s one of the protagonists. The story is set in the Song Dinasty (12th century) and revolves around Ximen Qing, a rich, powerful and lustful merchant who has six wives and concubines, one of them Pan Jinlian. The relationships between the wives and the servants, and the social climb of Ximen Qing and his relations with government officials and other powerful men fill those 2800 total pages. </p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4134" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/suanpan_jinpm/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg" data-orig-size="731,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Suanpan_jinpm" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=214" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=731" alt="" class="wp-image-4134" width="490" height="686" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=490 490w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=107 107w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg?w=214 214w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/suanpan_jinpm.jpg 731w" sizes="(max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px" /></a><figcaption>Doing business at one of Ximen Qing’s shops, because he needed a lot of money to keep so many women.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>I have to say I found it absolutely fascinating. Although it’s quite long, I couldn’t get my eyes off it (and not only because of the racy scenes, haha). There’s only one part at the beginning of the second book that I found boring. Also, and this feeling might be in part due to the fantastic Spanish translation (done by one of my college professors, the amazing Alicia Relinque Eleta), the novel sounds so modern, not only in its words but also in the way the characters act. I saw so many attitudes that are still preserved in today’s China! For example, the fact that business and deals are closed during dinners and need to have copious amounts of alcohol (something that I personally hate!) seems to have a too long history that has surely affected the life expectancy of generations of Chinese men. With regards to the openness about sex, it definitely feels more modern than present day China, haha. Also, monks and nuns tend to be presented as scammers, which is something that I’ve heard too from some people.</p>
<p>Pan Jinlian is a character that became the archetype of female villain in Chinese culture. She’s sometimes described as a femme fatale, but I’d say “total bitch” would be more adequate. She’s absolutely despicable, selfish, and mean, and she lies all the time to get other people in trouble and achieve her objectives. In the end she dies from a horrible and cruel death, and well deserved. Ximen Qing, the male protagonist, uses his money to buy influences and power, and when he gets an official position, he seems to think that there is nothing wrong with corruption. In fact, many of the officials that appear in the novel are corrupt, and the whole story is a critique of the corruption of its time. Ximen Qing seems also to be unable to keep it in his pants for more than half an hour, and goes around screwing anyone who tickles his fancy, be it prostitutes, servants (male and female), or the wives of the men that work for him. In the end, he gets physically sick because of having too much sex (probably some STD) and has a very ridiculous death. Yep, in this novel, most people who do bad things end up dead, as a punishment for their crimes.</p>
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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4135" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/03/28/jin-ping-mei-a-chinese-classic/%e9%87%91%e7%93%b6%e6%a2%85%e6%a0%bc%e5%ad%90%e9%97%a8%e6%8f%92%e5%9b%be2/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg" data-orig-size="827,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="金瓶梅格子门插图2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=242" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=827" alt="" class="wp-image-4135" width="562" height="696" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=562 562w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=121 121w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=242 242w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/e98791e793b6e6a285e6a0bce5ad90e997a8e68f92e59bbe2.jpg 827w" sizes="(max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" /></a><figcaption>“Well, well, what do you have there, dear?”.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>I think I might have talked too much about the sexy aspects, but they’re really not the only reason to read Jin Ping Mei, which I found to be a great portrait of an era and a social class. If you can get your hands on it, and have the patience to stay with a story for 2800 pages, I’d say go for it! I hope the English translation is at least half as good as the Spanish, which as I said is superb (I knew that professor was cool, but now she’s my idol!).</p>
<p><em>All images taken from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Jin_Ping_Mei" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wikimedia Commons</a>.</em></p>
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<title>Outbreak in Suzhou</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2022 15:06:45 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Suzhou]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19 in China]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[covid-19 outbreaks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[outbreaks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Suzhou Industrial Park]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Suzhou outbreak]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4110</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It’s been over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic started and Suzhou had not had an outbreak yet. Now with Omicron it was just a matter of time… and it finally happened. Last… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
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<p>It’s been over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic started and Suzhou had not had an outbreak yet. Now with Omicron it was just a matter of time… and it finally happened.</p>
<p>Last week, a worker in a company located in Suzhou Industrial Park, aka SIP, was positive during a routine test. All her family, colleagues and contacts were tested. At this point, some schools already announced that they would postpone the start of the semester (students were still on Chinese New Year holidays). A handful of other positives were found during the weekend, and on Monday, February 14th, Suzhou woke up with the news that two whole districts (SIP and Wuzhong) needed to test all their residents. And Valentine’s day plans were thus scrapped (I saw a video of bunches and bunches of flowers piled up on community gates, as delivery guys could not enter).</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="540" data-attachment-id="4114" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg" data-orig-size="1269,670" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeCom Screenshot_20220216145837" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4114" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145837.jpg 1269w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption>Long lines to get tested.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Each residential community closed off their perimeter and erected testing camps inside their premises. It seems testing staff stayed up all night to prepare everything. Testing started at 6 am and long lines formed in each community. It seems samples are analysed in batches (instead of one by one), so if there’s a positive in one batch, everybody in it would be re-tested. After getting the swab (through the mouth, thankfully, China started using oral swabs very early on) people would get a pink slip and only then were they allowed to leave their residential community. I don’t know if everybody went to work afterwards, but at least my friends did. Considering that at this point they didn’t have their results yet, it seems weird that they allowed people to go to work before getting their test results.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="534" data-attachment-id="4115" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg" data-orig-size="1268,662" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeCom Screenshot_20220216145937" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4115" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216145937.jpg 1268w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption>This place is not far from where my husband’s grandma lives.</figcaption></figure>
<p>More positives were found through these mass tests, so this morning (Wednesday), everybody went through the second round of testing. As of now there are 42 confirmed cases, which by China’s standard is already a serious outbreak.</p>
<p>I talked to my parents in law this morning and at that time they could still go out, but I’m not sure if the situation will change soon, considering the increase in positives. For now, many entries & exits in the highways around Suzhou were closed, intercity buses were cancelled and boarding a train requires a negative test result.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="533" data-attachment-id="4116" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/02/16/outbreak-in-suzhou/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg" data-orig-size="1276,665" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WeCom Screenshot_20220216150513" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-4116" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg?w=768 768w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/wecom-screenshot_20220216150513.jpg 1276w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption>Queues in Mudu Town (Lingyan temple visible on top of the mountain in the background). The guy filming this video had to queue for 3.5 hours.</figcaption></figure>
<p>All images are screenshots from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CjhGDUtV1g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">this YouTube video</a>. It was nice seeing those familiar places, but I’m not missing those half grey skies. I hope the Suzhou outbreak is contained soon!</p>
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<title>“I won’t eat candy ever again”</title>
<link>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/i-wont-eat-candy-ever-again/</link>
<comments>https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/i-wont-eat-candy-ever-again/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Marta]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2022 15:07:05 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Anecdotes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Personal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[family life]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[how to get toddler to brush teeth]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[library]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[old cartoons]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Once Upon a Time... Life]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[toddler]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[tooth decay]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/?p=4099</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A few days ago, my mum unearthed our old VHS player. Among the cartoons from my childhood that we had on tape (mainly Disney movies), there were also a couple of episodes from… <a class="read-more" href="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/i-wont-eat-candy-ever-again/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A few days ago, my mum unearthed our old VHS player. Among the cartoons from my childhood that we had on tape (mainly Disney movies), there were also a couple of episodes from <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Time..._Life" target="_blank">Once Upon a Time… Life</a>, a series that basically every Spanish child born in the 80s watched. One of the episodes we had was The Birth, and now my 3.5 year old knows that sperm are tadpole-like tiny robots “that men have and that pass into the woman and then a baby is formed”. It looks like we won’t need to have a “the birds and the bees” conversation in our household!</p>
<p>Then the other day we found out that our local library, which we visit at least once a week, has the Once Upon a Time… Life book and DVD collection. We borrowed the episode about virus and vaccines, as it’s something that my son is very interested in, given the times he’s living in. Yesterday we were at the library again and this time he chose to borrow the book about teeth. Well, I also directed him in that direction, since I wanted him to be more proactive about brushing his teeth.</p>
<p>We read the book in the library a couple of times and then we took it home. He loved it and was telling his grandparents how “tooth decay bacteria eat sugar and then make holes in your teeth”.</p>
<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><a href="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="4103" data-permalink="https://martalivesinchina.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/i-wont-eat-candy-ever-again/caries/" data-orig-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg" data-orig-size="1024,1026" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="caries" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=620" src="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=1022" alt="" class="wp-image-4103" width="467" height="467" srcset="https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=467 467w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=932 932w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=150 150w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=300 300w, https://martalivesinchina.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/caries.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /></a><figcaption>Tooth decay bacteria working hard on your teeth.</figcaption></figure></div>
<p>At dinner time, his reaction when seeing his rice and fried egg was: “Does this contain sugar? I am not eating sugar ever again”. “Candy and chocolate contain a lot of sugar, you know?”. That’s what I said, because lately he’s been asking for candy very often. “Then I won’t eat candy and chocolate ever again”. Then he was all somber and strangely quiet during bath and bed time. Turns out he is now super worried about tooth decay! A bit too much, it seems.</p>
<p>At least he is very willing to brush his teeth! Let’s see how long this lasts.</p>
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