China Travel Archives - Ryan McLaughlin

Typhoons Blow: Living through Rammasun

A lot of memories are sought in an active way; through vacations, birthday parties, anniversaries and the like. Many more are created completely unknowingly at the time and are only significant in hindsight; a random meeting with someone who becomes important in your life, an impromptu drive down a country road that fruits a beautiful …

July 22, 2014

// 4 Comments

// Read More »

A terrible guide to renouncing a child’s Chinese citizenship

You have to give it to China, she plays a hard game of holding on to her sons and daughters. When we applied over two years ago to renounce our son’s Chinese citizenship, we had assumed it would take a few months and that would be that. That is never that when it comes to …

April 25, 2014

// 47 Comments

// Read More »

The bugs are back in town

The bugs are returning. After a couple months with a decrease in the number of insect invaders in our home, the warmer weather lately is bringing them back. There are a lot of things that living on a tropical(ish) island forces you to get used to. Things your typical Canadian just never really has to …

March 5, 2014

// 3 Comments

// Read More »

Hainan Tropical Garden of Wild Flora and Fauna; a.k.a. Haikou’s other zoo

To kick off 2013 (Happy New Year BTW), we headed just outside of Haikou proper to another Haikou zoo yesterday (map). As I’ve said before, I’m always apprehensive about going to Chinese zoos, as they are virtually without exception terribly organized and maintained. The Haikou zoo downtown is a spot-on example of this — if …

January 2, 2013

// 4 Comments

// Read More »

Haikou, Hainan Style…

The other night I came into the living room, and the wife was watching the evening news. The segment ended, and what proceeded was proof that the whole Gangnam Style meme had most definitely jumped the shark. In an attempt to cash in on what is quickly becoming this decade’s “Macarena”, the broadcaster somehow managed …

November 26, 2012

// 2 Comments

// Read More »

Visiting Wenchang’s Tongguling / Yunlong Bay

The beach at Yunlong Bay, Wenchang, Hainan

I’m embarrassed to say that after living in Haikou for a year and a half, it was only this past weekend that we finally got out of the city and explored a bit more of Hainan. I could blame a lot of things for the lax attitude about travelling around the island, but as this …

September 24, 2012

// 7 Comments

// Read More »

Questing Hainan – best Google April Fools yet!

With the countless number of days (and nights) I spent callousing my thumbs in the company of various NES RPGs, this is hands-down my favourite Google April Fools yet.

April 1, 2012

// 2 Comments

// Read More »

36 hours in Guangzhou

Tuesday morning Maggie, Casey and I crawled out of bed at the ungodly hour of 4:15am to head to the airport and catch a flight to Guangzhou. The quick two-day trip was a necessity so that we could apply for Casey’s Canadian passport and Maggie’s visa for a visit to the TNS&F in May. The …

March 16, 2012

// Leave a comment

// Read More »

Haikou winters make me wet

As this has been our first winter in Haikou, I wanted to hold off with this rant public service announcement until I was confident it wasn’t just a passing thing. Unfortunately, I think I can confidently state, on the record, that Haikou winters suck. Crap winters aren’t something new to me. Growing up in Southern …

March 2, 2012

// 4 Comments

// Read More »

Billabong Surfing Hainan Open 2011

The 4th Annual Billabong Surfing Hainan Open took place this weekend. I was hoping to go check it out, as we don’t have many surf competitions in Canada — particularly in the interior provinces, unfortunately I seem to have gotten the dates mixed up and thought it was next weekend. Bah. Anyway, check out this …

December 4, 2011

// 2 Comments

// Read More »

A trip to Haikou Zoo

For the last few weeks Maggie’s been suggesting we take Casey to the Haikou zoo. I have deeply mixed feelings about zoos. Like the ROM for history, trips when I was a child to the Toronto Zoo instilled in me a great sense of wonder and a love for animals. On the same coin, I …

November 29, 2011

// 4 Comments

// Read More »

Until Starbucks, Coffee World it is.

I never thought I’d be one of those people who craved a Starbucks, but the last few years in Suzhou spoiled me. Within a two kilometre radius of our place there we had four Starbucks. Four. That’s roughly on par with the number of mainland Chinese food restaurants in the same area. Haikou doesn’t have …

November 26, 2011

// 4 Comments

// Read More »

Page 1 of 912 3 4 5 6 7 8 9