It's time...TIME FOR SOME LONG OVERDUE #BadChinaTake Awards.

As always, we start with our honorable mentions. Kicking off with Ukrainian-American racer turned political activist @igorsushko claiming that the far-right anti-CPC newspaper Epoch Times is Chinese state media! Next, the perpetually-outraged-for-cash Gordon 'coming collapse' Chang @GordonGChang tells @Newsweek that, in China's latest coming economic collapse, Xi Jinping may launch *another* war (to add to the 0 wars he's already launched)

Reasons why the bridge collapsed 🧵:

Foreign Workers China

It has been a decent year for travel for me this year, having spent time in a total of 25 cities* (& smattering of constituent cities & towns)

& it started, as the year tends to, on Jan 1st, in my hometown of Birkenhead*, at Future Yard's NYE Party.

*Ok, one town The next day, I jumped on a train with Yuan Yuan to go and meet Joe in Manchester, where we spent one night.

One photo (or, if unavailable, a video, download, or screenshot) from every day of 2023: June edition.

Jun 1. Jun 2.

Sharing one picture I took on each day of 2023 (or, if unavailable, a video, screenshot, or download)

It's time for May.

May 1. May 2.

One image or video taken every day of 2023, ideally by me, but if not, something I downloaded or screenshotted that day.

April time. Starting, logically, with...

Apr 1. Apr 2.

It's March time! I'm sharing one picture taken by myself on each day of 2023 (ideally. if there isn't, a video, screenshot, or download will have to do).

They shouldn't clog your TL as they're threads. But if they are, & don't care about this, best to mute me a few days.

Mar 1. Mar 2.

One picture (or video, screenshot, or download, if needs be) from each day of 2023 - February edition (apologies, it was a dull month)

Feb 1.

(ps - whilst this project *shouldnt* clog your feed, as they're threads, feel free to mute me for a bit if they are & yr not interested) Feb 2.

Here's a photo, video, or - if desperate - a screenshot or downloaded image from every single day of 2023.

Jan 1. Jan 2.

Just miles and miles and miles of top quality highway, but barely a soul in sight. As a European, I still find this odd. Even a touch eerie. But equally, it's perhaps the perfect embodiment of Chinese style proactivity vs European reactivity.

This subject is very much one of those I find myself in the middle ground on. I see the pros & cons of both. I like things about both, & dislike some too.

I think they kinda...both work, depending on where it happens. & find the tribalism on either side very strange.

Do not let the rather generic title put you off - 我爱你 Love Never Ends is an excellent piece of cinema.

The best Chinese film I've seen in a couple of years.

The writing & direction was fantastic. The acting very solid. The character development, brilliant. It tackles quite a few serious, sensitive topics with the gravity & deft touch they deserve & require.

Some real, genuine gut punches of emotion in amongst some tender heartwarming moments & the right balance of comedy to punctuate things to prevent it getting too dark.

The issue I have with people like this (& there's a few of them around) is that they're cowards.

They so badly want some exciting stories of their bravery; traveling in dangerous parts of the world. But they don't have the bollocks to actually do it...

https://twitter.com/AsiaReportcom/status/1661113744167149568

...so they'll go somewhere like China; an extremely peaceful country with low crime, where you rarely need to worry about your own safety.

& then play off peoples general ignorance about Asia by pretending it was 'uncivilized' & 'dangerous' without ever really being at risk.

So, Little Mermaid thoughts...not bad.

Not exactly an all time classic, but not a wasted evening either. It's so strange that it's somehow garnered a bit of controversy, because it really is quite inoffensive it must be said

(more in 🧵) I think the main selling point has to be just how well done it is aesthetically. Excellent cinematography & great use of colour throughout. Some solid visual effects too. Quite stunning at some points.

Big thumbs up in that respect.

Just finished China's latest science fiction action blockbuster; The Wandering Earth II - a film with a few interesting concepts, handled quite well, but drowned out by a whole lot of sci-fi noise.

Full review 👇 Let me make it clear from the start - I'm not suggesting the sci fi elements were poorly done, nor stand out bad. More so, they weren't stand out at all.

I don't care for sci-fi unless it's *exceptional*. Wandering Earth II was not in that category, I'm afraid. Just *fine*.

'Raising living standards is bad because that's what Nazis did' is an exceptionally poor take. 'What do you mean the US needs to improve its infrastructure? What are you, some kind of Nazi?!'

Whole lotta very professional people (absolute experts in their fields) asking me for advice recently in one form or another.

It's really nice. Genuinely. & you know I'm always absolutely happy to do whatever I can to help anyone (DMs open)

But do feel a bit like this 👇😅 Again, as I say - I'm absolutely more than willing to answer questions, give advice...whatever anyone needs help with or wants to run by someone.

But PLEASE do not overestimate my expertise on anything. I have none, I'm afraid.

In 2005, Daniel Kinge - a teacher - was jailed for 9 months for downloading indecent images of children.

Upon release, he changed his name to Samuel & set up a teaching resources website called Sparklebox (w/ a forum for parents to images, including their children) ... ...this was only discovered when he was convicted for a second time for downloading ~500 indecent images of children (on top of frequent visits to orphanages in Uganda). For this, we was jailed for 12 months...

Having a bit of a disaster here. I'm due to leave Yanji West at 7:20am on Thursday. But it turns out, Taxis are quite hard to come by at the best of times (waited nearly 30mins outside the station for one).

I'm 8km from the station. No buses early enough... Can't walk in this weather at that time. So I have a few options.

Ideally, I'm trying to book a hotel near the station for that night. But it's proving really difficult. Only one I could find has sold out.

There's a temperature difference of 82°C between the hottest & coldest temps I've ever experienced.

Hottest: Al-Jahra, Kuwait. Mid-August 2016 (52°C)
Coldest: Harbin, China. January 22nd 2023 (-30°C)

Anyone able to top that? If there's 3 people I reckon my top it, it's @pajolicoe, @chris__pc & @KevinTilstone

Time for a belated New Year Feast - 东北 style.

After two days of just instant noodles & shop bought nibbles, I've treated myself to some 地三鲜，尖椒干豆腐 & some 干煸土豆片 to snack on in the evening.

& a bottle of 大窑 I can't open. Damn. Only kidding. You think I've never been caught without a bottle opener before? 😎