Michael Woodhead
@michaelwood8.bsky.social
Medical journalist, Sydney, via Leeds.
Cycling in China. Blog at josephrock.net
Cycling in China. Blog at josephrock.net
Made it to Binyang near Nanning and it seems I’ve moved into the #Cantonese speaking zone #China #cycling #bicycle
January 17, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Made it to Binyang near Nanning and it seems I’ve moved into the #Cantonese speaking zone #China #cycling #bicycle
Bye bye Laibin
January 17, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Bye bye Laibin
Didn’t realise that snail noodles and dog meat would be staples here in rural Guangxi south of Liuzhou. Fortunately there are canteens that do a bit of everything for 18 kuai ($4)
January 16, 2026 at 10:46 AM
Didn’t realise that snail noodles and dog meat would be staples here in rural Guangxi south of Liuzhou. Fortunately there are canteens that do a bit of everything for 18 kuai ($4)
January 16, 2026 at 9:38 AM
January 16, 2026 at 9:26 AM
The ‘Ramada’ Hotel, Luzhai, Guangxi. $20 a night including all you can eat breakfast
January 16, 2026 at 3:24 AM
The ‘Ramada’ Hotel, Luzhai, Guangxi. $20 a night including all you can eat breakfast
View from my Luzhai hotel room. 120km to cycle today
January 16, 2026 at 12:18 AM
View from my Luzhai hotel room. 120km to cycle today
First day back on the road with the old e-bike that has already done 6000km along the Yellow River. Not surprisingly it’s a bit creaky (turning 63 next week). I did a respectable 125km from Guilin to Luzhai, near Liuzhou.
January 15, 2026 at 11:46 AM
First day back on the road with the old e-bike that has already done 6000km along the Yellow River. Not surprisingly it’s a bit creaky (turning 63 next week). I did a respectable 125km from Guilin to Luzhai, near Liuzhou.
A simple Wednesday evening dinner at sister in laws place, Guilin. Barbecue pork, tofu meatballs, green leafy veg and some chickens feet (凤爪 fèngzhǎo )
January 14, 2026 at 11:11 AM
A simple Wednesday evening dinner at sister in laws place, Guilin. Barbecue pork, tofu meatballs, green leafy veg and some chickens feet (凤爪 fèngzhǎo )
The first thing my in-laws said to me when I returned to China: we hear it is not very ‘harmonious’ (和谐, hexie) in your country right now?
January 14, 2026 at 9:44 AM
The first thing my in-laws said to me when I returned to China: we hear it is not very ‘harmonious’ (和谐, hexie) in your country right now?
One of the things I like about cycle touring is the simplicity of having everything I use reduced to four bags.
Food bag
Clothes bag
Bathroom bag
Gadgets/repair kit bag.
Food bag
Clothes bag
Bathroom bag
Gadgets/repair kit bag.
January 14, 2026 at 8:56 AM
One of the things I like about cycle touring is the simplicity of having everything I use reduced to four bags.
Food bag
Clothes bag
Bathroom bag
Gadgets/repair kit bag.
Food bag
Clothes bag
Bathroom bag
Gadgets/repair kit bag.
Back in Guilin to reclaim my bike for the next little trip
January 13, 2026 at 5:19 AM
Back in Guilin to reclaim my bike for the next little trip
Bag packed. But I forgot the new Big Apple tyres. Yunnan here I come.
January 10, 2026 at 6:41 AM
Bag packed. But I forgot the new Big Apple tyres. Yunnan here I come.
Today's retro radio listening: Andy Peebles Radio 1 July 1983: Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Flock of Seagulls, Men at Work, Donna Summer, Eurythmics www.mixcloud.com/espeee/bbc-r...
BBC Radio 1 Top 40 - 10th July 1983 with Andy Peebles (Edit)
Transmitter - Pontop Pike, Dipton, County Durham, 88.5 MHz Stereo
Tuner - Hitachi TRK-5280E
Cassette Deck - Hitachi TRK-5280E
Cassette - Radio Shack (Tandy) Concertape 90 (No NR)
www.mixcloud.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Today's retro radio listening: Andy Peebles Radio 1 July 1983: Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Flock of Seagulls, Men at Work, Donna Summer, Eurythmics www.mixcloud.com/espeee/bbc-r...
Flying to the northern hemisphere winter in a couple of days and I managed to get a last minute #flu #vaccination from a rather surprised pharmacist.
January 10, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Flying to the northern hemisphere winter in a couple of days and I managed to get a last minute #flu #vaccination from a rather surprised pharmacist.
Reposted by Michael Woodhead
Randa Abdel-Fattah’s response:
January 8, 2026 at 6:10 AM
Randa Abdel-Fattah’s response:
Rewatching the 70s pandemic drama Survivors and struck by their use of words and phrases that we now seldom hear in everyday conversation. Does anyone in the UK still say ‘stop quarreling’ or ‘blimey’ or ‘buzz off’?
January 10, 2026 at 1:38 AM
Rewatching the 70s pandemic drama Survivors and struck by their use of words and phrases that we now seldom hear in everyday conversation. Does anyone in the UK still say ‘stop quarreling’ or ‘blimey’ or ‘buzz off’?
Echo and the Bunnymen Insta site posted this on their timeline with a Pictures on My Wall soundtrack but banned comments. Tut tut it should be Books, a tune done by both bands. Photo is of Sefton Park/ Lark Lane. I lived there 81-87
January 9, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Echo and the Bunnymen Insta site posted this on their timeline with a Pictures on My Wall soundtrack but banned comments. Tut tut it should be Books, a tune done by both bands. Photo is of Sefton Park/ Lark Lane. I lived there 81-87
Foreign Influence was a massive existential threat for Australia when it was Beijing in focus, but when Tel Aviv-aligned lobbyists are involved ... no worries mate
100%. We’ve seen the dossiers on individual targets that get compiled and sent to institutions in coordinated assaults. They’re incredibly detailed. The intended effect is overwhelm, and most institutions are not equipped to understand or resist it.
I wrote earlier about the catastrophic effects of pro-Israel pressure campaigns on our cultural institutions, but it seems no lessons have been learned
open.substack.com/pub/nickfeik...
open.substack.com/pub/nickfeik...
January 9, 2026 at 12:12 PM
Foreign Influence was a massive existential threat for Australia when it was Beijing in focus, but when Tel Aviv-aligned lobbyists are involved ... no worries mate
Australia's ABC News stories are now so politically skewed that you have to interpret them with the same forensic news skills as China watchers used when poring over the Peoples Daily in the Cultural Revolution. This example: start at the final par and work backwards www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Diana received a tip to flee Venezuela. She was on a list to be arrested
When a Telegram message landed on her phone, Diana knew she had to flee Venezuela. It was from someone close to Nicolás Maduro, and she says she would have been jailed, or worse.
www.abc.net.au
January 9, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Australia's ABC News stories are now so politically skewed that you have to interpret them with the same forensic news skills as China watchers used when poring over the Peoples Daily in the Cultural Revolution. This example: start at the final par and work backwards www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Chinese Christians tire of superficial US-style evangelical churches, switch to more traditional Orthodox Christianity www.christianitytoday.com/2026/01/chin...
The Chinese Evangelicals Turning to Orthodoxy - Christianity Today
More believers from China and Taiwan are finding Eastern Christianity appealing. I sought to uncover why.
www.christianitytoday.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Chinese Christians tire of superficial US-style evangelical churches, switch to more traditional Orthodox Christianity www.christianitytoday.com/2026/01/chin...
Writers boycotting the Adelaide festival but still supporting the Islamophobic CSAM content site that is X?
January 8, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Writers boycotting the Adelaide festival but still supporting the Islamophobic CSAM content site that is X?