My apartment is in the Shuangjing neighborhood of Beijing.
The apartment is in a compound called Shidaiguoji, which translates to “Times International”, but I think a more normalized translation would be put it as “International Era”.
Once I began the long and arduous process of settling in, I was able to begin looking around and take in the area.
Note: I have written plenty about this apartment and this period. This is a short extra, documenting a bit of everyday life for friends and family who’ve expressed interest.
2017 Spring Festival Fireworks in Beijing
Spring Festival fireworks, Beijing 2017. These displays went on every night, give or take, for a week. Little did I know this would be the last time such a scene played out in the city. The government thereafter clamped down on the use of fireworks during the annual Chinese new year holiday.