Lust, Caution

Ang Lee is one of the few directors who can tackle virtually any genre, and with a few exceptions (2003’s The Hulk leaps to mind) come up with something marvellous if not exceptional (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000,  Brokeback Mountain, 2005). Lust, Caution is a slow-burning thriller set in WWII Japanese-occupied Shanghai and Hong Kong.

All My Trains (Chinese train part 3)

Previously on Trains of Our Lives, our fair heroine (me) survived a death-defying descent from the upper berth of her miniscule train compartment. She has just made it through a trip to the filthiest loo on five continents. Today’s episode is once again brought to you by haemorrhoid cream, incontinence pads and of course, ointment

Trains of our Lives (Chinese train part 2)

It occurs to me the saga of the train ride to Xian was so full of melodrama, angst, chance encounters, intrigues and things that weren’t what they seemed to be – it qualifies as a full-blown soap opera. Today’s episode, is therefore brought to you by your favourite haemorrhoid cream, the latest improvement in incontinence

Romantic train journey in China??? (pt 1)

There’s a certain romance attached to train travel, an elegance associated with sleeper and dining cars. Think Some Like it Hot, or Murder on the Orient Express, or any of a dozen screwball comedies starring Cary Grant or Kathryn Hepburn. Though I’ve travelled extensively in Europe, the US and Asia, I’d never had the chance

Purchasing personal products in Hangzhou, China!

We were at the tail end of a month long trip to China, having made it to Shanghai, via the entire eastern half of the country and were exhausted. I was sick of Chinese gardens and seemingly endless bus trips to explore yet another one. (I do not recommend Suzhou, the Garden City, at the