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curtexplores.bsky.social
Oolong Musk 🇵🇸
@curtexplores.bsky.social
China. Travel. Music. Sport. Culture. Whatever.

Free Palestine.
November 25, 2025 at 5:04 AM
We were due to visit Japan for Christmas. Had started weighing up our options with the current geopolitical tension.

I thank the Ambassador for making our decision for us by making it about lazy stereotypes of people no way involved.

Absolutely no desire to visit now.
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 AM
(I'm not saying he edits his own page too, but I will say that an account called 'Ccpvid19' added the politician infobox & did some of the early editing (alongside a non-logged in user w/ a QLD IP).

'Ccpvid19' has only ever edited one page - Drew Pavlou - & also uploaded some other pics of him.)
November 18, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Anyway since we're on China commentators, I also found out Drew Pavlou added his own picture to his Wikipedia page, which is quite funny isn't it?
November 18, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Not one of them have called this out. The only slight acknowledgement was to attack me for doing so when I pointed out that no one had questioned him calling murdered Palestinian children 'dead niglets' & calling rape victims 'porn stars'. Since then, nothing.

Plenty of moralizing, just not on Buki
November 14, 2025 at 3:13 AM
A good friend to many of the moral arbiters of the China Twitter space 👇🏻
November 14, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Surely that would be uncomfortable for both
November 13, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Ancient rune or chicken foot?
November 10, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Night kites over the business district
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A beautiful performance by the NCPA Orchestra & Beijing Philharmonic Choir performing 炎黄风情 at the sleek & smooth National Center for Performing Arts.

My first time inside, & my first full orchestra performance!
November 7, 2025 at 2:18 PM
All will be revealed come the end of the year with my '100 tracks of the year' countdown.

For now, I have about 9 or 10 albums on the waitlist & a preliminary 128 tracks that deserve to be in the top 100.

I'm fairly sure I know what will be no.1 though
November 7, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Hmm, I wonder if it's the same people who run the one in nearby Suzhou? If so, it's one of my favourite restaurants in the country. If not, great! A new place to try!

Next time I'm in Shanghai I'll head there for sure
November 7, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Indeed, we ate at Beijing's Vege Tiger 素虎 buffet in Qianmen for Christmas this year - 130 vegan dishes, only 78rmb, & decent quality too!
November 7, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Some of my favourite dishes ever have come from these type of places, though they're usually reserved as a treat.

The 锅包'肉' from the afformentioned Hohhot place

The 松鼠鳜'鱼' from Lotus in Suzhou.

The 叉烧'肉' from Fortunate Cafe in Shanghai
November 7, 2025 at 5:29 AM
These can get pretty high end. Kings Joy (guide.michelin.com/hk/en/beijin...) in Beijing held 3 Michelin stars until recently & still has 2. I've never been, of course, but on the same road is Veggie Table - more in my budget (& very tasty, albeit not specifically Chinese food)
November 7, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Though it is true that the bigger the city, the more likely you are to find more of these. I have two I sometimes order from in work if I'm working late - the first here is cheaper & does nice meat-style 饺子, the second more expensive but does great vegan 宫保鸡丁.
November 7, 2025 at 5:14 AM
The second are the vegetarian-specific restaurants that make meatless alternatives to dishes that usually contain meat.

Most cities will have these - one of my favourites ever was in Baotou (pictured in 2017), another in Hohhot. Not big cities!

These are often but not always near temples.
November 7, 2025 at 5:13 AM
There's two types of vegetarian food in China, I'd say (& indeed this is by no means unique to China, it's a global thing).

The first, & what comprises the majority of my diet, is the 'accidently vegetarian' section.
November 7, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Have you been talking small talk lessons from a taxi driver?

To answer your other questions.

- The UK
- No, I'm not married
- Yes, I love this country
- Sure, but the cost of living is much higher too
- No thank you, I don't smoke/Oh, thanks! (depending on who I'm with)
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Lots has changed since I moved here, including the loss of the easiest route. Now, I'm probably not the guy to ask. But I did read they're easing the visa requirements for STEM graduates?

I think the easiest route, though, would be post-graduate study
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 AM
In typical British fashion, we've finally decided to jump on the Pasokification trend, a decade after it was cool.
November 7, 2025 at 3:25 AM
I'm afraid not! When the weather is nice, I ride a bike. When it's not, I go to a coffee shop & read.

Recently, a lot of the latter. But only Starbucks & Costa nearby. Boo!

Today, I'm in Costa answering your questions!
November 7, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Plenty! There's all sorts of grilled veggies, mushrooms, potato, 面筋, 奶豆腐 (in Inner Mongolia). & loads of sides too! Noodles, nuts, beans. Beer!
November 7, 2025 at 2:55 AM
I've never really made plans, & all that has changed is that I now worry about that a bit more since turning 30. But not enough to do much about it.
November 7, 2025 at 2:54 AM
in China?
November 7, 2025 at 2:49 AM