Definitely over compensating for something Last week was a good week. There was a three-day public holiday and a very special friend came to stay with us, so special in fact, because without her, Mark wouldn’t have had the bravado to chat me up outside an East London nightclub. A single moment, fueled by adrenaline and alcohol. Her encouraging words of “go on, he’s looking at you!” And five years later, here we are. Showing her around Shanghai was an absolute joy. Sharing wit

Toto, we're not in London anymore If you’ve ever been to China and had dinner with a Chinese person here, you will inevitably come across a very simple yet gargantuan question. To welcome us to Shanghai a lovely friend of ours took us out for dinner where she casually dropped it into conversation. “So, what do you think of China?” There was a moment of brief silence whilst Mark continued to eat, unaware of the situation unfolding. In the back of my mind I’m deeply suspect of

A lonely week, not through boredom, but through a feeling of isolation, like I’ve suddenly gone deaf. I’m sure most who have ever migrated to the other side of the world, to a vastly different culture have experienced this. While Mark is at work, I spend my day wandering around alone, sometimes not even speaking. There is a sense that everything is muffled, I hear conversations but they wash over me, I haven’t a clue what anyone is saying. The first delivery to my new home wa

My grandfather, Xu (Zee) Bao Shan and grandmother Doris Zee Do you remember what were you doing this time last year? I was cooking and shooting images for my book, waiting for the rising and setting suns for the right light, not too dark and not too bright. Mexican breakfasts like Divorced Eggs or twists like a Green Shakshuka were on the table and I had neighbours popping in to feast on the leftovers. I was making changes to my recipes on the fly, ticking off each dish on a