China in a nutshell

Developing at a rate unmatched by the rest of the world, the ever-expanding country’s dense population is almost unfathomable. Yet the modern skyscrapers sit alongside 10th Century architecture and it’s this contrast between tradition and transformation that makes modern China so intriguing.

Remnants of the Great Wall, water towns that time forgot, lush greenery a stone’s throw away from sweeping skyscrapers and Buddhist temples hidden amongst the mountains… it’ll be like exploring another galaxy, just be sure to pack a phrasebook.

Moving around the country has never been easier, but you’d be wrong to assume it’s plain sailing. Few people speak English, the writing system is unlike anything I have ever seen (so road signs are almost impossible) and foreigners are sometimes seen as exotic objects of deep curiosity - leading to often amusing scenarios where a line begins to form of locals wanting a photo with you (peace signs are optional).

In a world where people fill every inch of space, patience gets you nowhere. If you want to get from one side of the road to the other, you have no option but to push and I found myself unhesitatingly joining in. But despite holding a reputation for curtness, the locals are friendly and welcoming.

Here’s my take on the region.

Tapping away your problems | A candid review of EFT

I turned up to my first Tapping class as a secret skeptic, but I convinced myself that with an open mind, something good could come of it. The whole evening was an experience to say the least, spending two hours sat in a room full of women I didn’t know all crying together wasn’t exactly how I had pictured my night ending up.

For those of you that don’t know, Tapping is an Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which is a form of psychological acupressure that involves tapping on energy meridians that are situated just beneath the surface of the skin. In short, you say words that bring up stress/anxiety or anything you’re dealing with personally, then you tap in random places throughout your body (in between the eyebrows, under the collarbone etc.) to release the negative energy. Yes, I know, it sounds as much like witchcraft as contouring does, but bear with me.

So there I was, sat in a circle, feeling like I was attending my first AA meeting.