Money and budgeting is one of the things on most people’s minds. Whether it is due to a change a of jobs when the income is tight, or whether you are just trying to save as much as possible to send back home, many people will reach times when they need to pull down on the purse strings and really save some money. So all of this begs the question, how much does it cost to live minimally in Xi’an.
As many ultra-endurance races got postponed this year and travelling is still very complicated, expensive, and includes many risks, me and some friends decided to set up our own challenge here in China. We came up with the idea to cycle along the Great Wall from west to east and called it Great Wall Ride (GWR).
I took the train with my bike and met my friends from Beijing in Jiuquan, who flew there. Whenever possible I prefer to take the train over a flight, because I rather carry/handle my bike myself rather than trusting airlines with it. Once we had met up, we were ready to begin the trip.
Lots of people feel the need to leave the city, their homes, once in a while. Routine can be quite suffocating, boring, even disorienting. Living in Xi’an also brings some other variables, such as pollution and the inevitable distance from the ocean…So what if we gave different meaning to our holidays other than ‘doing nothing’ ?What if we thought about them as a whole experience? A transportation to a different environment that can – in many ways – help us with some struggle? I know the ‘sunny beach with an umbrella cocktail’ is a very attractive option but let me tell you about my experience.
The long-awaited 14th National Games of China will soon be upon us, and Shaanxi is making the final preparations for its first ever chance to host this prestigious event. Even though the games officially start on the 15th of September, some events will be beginning their initial runs before that, so we have translated the official list of events and where they will be held so that you can be ready to watch your favorite events.
Can you introduce yourself? Job title, educational background, languages, hobbies, your family etc.
Neeta: I am Neeta Santika Duffy, Indonesian-British, a daughter of Indonesian diplomats born in Barnsley, the UK. I have four degrees; The double honours degree bachelor in law and economics LLB (Hons) and BA (Utrecht University, the Netherlands), Economics MSc (Kings’ College London, the UK), International Business MSc (University of Auckland, New Zealand), and International Affairs and Language MA (Chongqing, China). I am a polyglot speak six languages; English, Indonesian, French, Dutch, Sudanese, and Chinese, and I’m currently working as a Global Business Development Representative for Advanced Energy, a US company, named to the Forbes 2021 America’s Best Large Employers.
I’ve often felt that the term ‘hidden gem’ is a bit overused. Often times it is used to describe places that is both convenient to get to and in plain sight, not the hard to find places that are actually good. However, occasionally you do find a legitimate hidden gem – place that you would not have actually found unless you were guided there. This is the case with Matsukawa Japanese Restaurant.
Agood burger can be hard to find in Xi’an, with most offerings being of the bland fast food variety. That was until the minds behind Westhouse opened up EGG BANG in the Saige Mall at the close of 2019. It was refreshing. It was delicious. It was good. But then COVID hit and Saige decided to renovate their 6th floor, eliminating many restaurants, including EGG BANG. It was a sad discovery. But not one to stay down, they got back at it soon after by opening a shop at Momopark, and their most recent outing, a shop at CityOn Mall in the North.
If you haven’t noticed, people around Xi’an really like bars. It’s seems like there is a new bar that pops up every day, and there are more always on the way. However, most of these bars fall into two distinct categories – beer and cocktails. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with a nice cold craft brew or an expertly mixed concoction, there is something that has been missing from the landscape for quite some time – a wine bar. Enter CUB.
C anada’s favorite coffee shop hit Chinese shores in early 2019, with their first store opening in Shanghai. Since then they have expanded to other large cities in China, with their most recent opening right here in Xi’an on July 29th. The shop, located at MIXC not far from exit C of the HuiZhanZhongXin Metro stop is a bit of an odd choice, being far from the downtown area, but is likely just the beginning of their expansion in Xi’an.
Forgive me for this month’s contribution being a hot bake in the sweltering summer, however it all balances once served with a scoop or three of cooling vanilla ice cream.
This sweet is a traditional South African dessert with a pep and tweak from a classic British baked chocolate pudding. I don’t claim it, nor shall I entitle this as my own recipe as it does come from my chef school recipe file. As a student, I made this many a time and has often proudly taken place of honor on many dinner tables back home.
