A return to Glasgow, Scotland's largest city with increasing connections to China
Waking up very early, partly due to the long hours of summer daylight and of course the time difference, I was aware of something, silence! Compare that to living close to Sanlitun in downtown Beijing! Even during daytime local roads are generally very quiet, at night practically silent apart from faint sounds of wildlife, such as foxes, that come out when the city sleeps. There was little commercial activity, while the common sight and sound of ubiquitous three-wheel delivery carts, the 'sanlunche' or the many electric delivery bikes do not exist. In Beijing and other Chinese cities I am so used to going out most evening to local restaurants or having food delivered. Back in suburban Scotland, people generally go home in the evenings where they cook and dine together. Indeed for some going out to a restaurant or bar is maybe only a weekly, or not even that, event. For me, living in China, going out every day, this was an interesting 'reverse cultural experience'. Glasgow's city centre is quite different to the suburbs, being vibrant with many top-class dining experiences.
