It’s freezing in Beijing… temp under 0 degrees at nights… I have invested in a large padded jacket which keeps me warm (at least the middle bit of me) during my evening walks to and from cocktails at the Australian Embassy…. everyone is excited about the potential outcomes of the election and planning to ‘celebrate’ on the 24th.

Today I leave my apartment at TuanJieHu and move across to the centre of the city…. I will be staying at the newly refurbished Wangfujing Hostel (where I am working with the owner to redecorate the bar and bedrooms with my photographic images)

On Sunday I am catching the night train to Shanghai…. SOPA has contracted me to conduct a feasibility study into hosting an exhibition of Chinese Cultural Revolution posters during the Beijing Olympics… So I’m having lunch with Mr Yang at the Propaganda Museum on Tuesday to negotiate the proposal and select the posters.

Then on Friday 9th I’m catching the fast train to Hong Kong and flying to Taiwan for a week, which should be interesting as the Chinese TV (CCTV) is televising heated debates about Taiwan’s ‘disruptive/disrespectful’ application to join the UN…. some veiled talk re: ‘of course we don’t plan any military action’…..

I then plan to travel back to Beijing via the coastal stone villages and have a look at a ‘different’ part of China.

This Saturday there is a big opening of a new contemporary art museum called UCCA, at the 798 Art District…. should be a busy day as I am also taking the final draft of my new book to the publishers there….