Modest crowd
Our Old China Hands lunch 8 November saw a grand total of 25, due to COVID complications and other. It was somehow good to have a reduced crowd as CCTV4 was running around filming us and Morel’s Restaurant has a lack of staff.
Yeah CCTV4 is making (again) a documentary about me…
But food was great again. This time we saw pockets of French, German, Flemish and English speaking corners, making it pretty international…
Our Hutong Man
Once again Terry in the news. this time on BRTV (Beijing Radio and TV). who shows his Chinese skills and how he is part of the hutong community.
Link of the video clip is here.
Google translation (edited) from the introduction:
“Unexpected Beijing” American Gao Tianrui, I am “Xichengyang Aunt”
BRTV Youth 21 October 2022
Gao Tianrui from the USA has lived in Beijing for 27 years. A few years ago, he set up his home in a hutong near Shichahai in Beijing, and developed a strong interest in the work of community volunteers. In 2017, he joined the volunteer team of “Aunt Xicheng” and became a member of the Ping An volunteers in Xicheng District, and became well-known. Wearing a red vest and a red armband he is regularly walking in the alleys of Shichahai, enjoying volunteering. His favorite idiom is “helping others.” For him, the Shichahai community is his home.
See previous posts here.
After spending 30 years in Japan, we lived in China for 25 years and I do miss Beijing and Shanghai a lot. Whenever I look at your photos I get these nostalgic feelings, remembering our Rotary Club meetings in the Kempinski Hotel when Rene Schmitt was the director.