Personal update: I moved back to the UK last month after a decade in #China. Spending much of my adult life to date in China has been an incredible experience. A look back at the narrative journey of those years and how it’s ultimately framed my decision to leave. (1/22) The China where I went to study and work in the early 2010s was a land of boundless opportunity. I moved there as a young Sinophile in search of adventure and more career growth than I felt was possible back home. (2/22)

Despite being out of lockdown for several months, #Shanghai is clearly still feeling the effects. Some thoughts and observations since I arrived in the city a month ago. 🧵 (1/16) In downtown Shanghai, the busiest areas are mostly busy again, especially at peak times. Construction projects have resumed. Schools are reopening soon. But the general level of activity remains depressed. (2/16)

I’ve moved out of my #Beijing hutong home after three happy years – that’s not long compared to my neighbour, Mr Wen, who’s lived in the same courtyard since the 1970s. A short thread. (1/8) This courtyard once belonged to a scholar, Fu Xihua (傅惜华), who filled it with his vast book collection. He died in 1970 after being struggled against. Over the years, more people moved into the yard until at one point it accommodated 7 families/around 35 people. (2/8)