I suppose you could say I have lived a life. — Do you want a resume? Sure here you go: Education: Bachelor of Arts: Being the Artful Dodger in every school production. 1996–2007, The University of Essex, School of Council Estate Politics. Masters Degree: Drunken Rants, 2007-, The Hawley Arms. I digress. I find such listings of one’s achievements uncouth. I…

The Books of Shangri-La — I found a bar in Tsim Sha Shui, which was densely populated with westerners. Their faces were high on San Miguel. I found a nice spot in the corner, where I could give the impression that I wanted to be left alone. …

The Books of Shangri-La — I want to experience as much as possible from the moment I wake up until I sleep. I need every sense to pulsate with delight every time I step out of the apartment. I crave adventure, a real adventure, a need to see and to be seen. I think of…

The Books of Shangri-La One night in Kowloon, and the world is your oyster. It was hot and wet. Rain began to drizzle, finely, unintense, which was more than could be said of the streets. …

The Books of Shangri-La — Great big tower blocks lurch over stores that seem more appropriate in a toy town when the backdrop is of these great architectural behemoths. Beef satay toast is eaten with satisfaction, the smell of tea hitting our nostrils and luring us into a sense of comfort. The old men smoke…

The Books of Shangri-La — Five minutes to midnight. We both stood behind the door, luggage in hand. Six minutes felt like a lifetime. We stood, smoking, knocking ash into an ashtray consciously. I wondered whether Salome and the little one would exit their room at the same time. It was now midnight. One more…

The Books of Shangri-La — Daisy told me that they knocked for breakfast at six-thirty. I was unaware; I had been asleep for only an hour and a half by that point — When Daisy answered, a woman was joined by a man wearing an earpiece. The woman handed over two breakfast trays; Daisy ate…

The Books of Shangri-La — I FaceTimed Salome for a while. It was the early morning hours, and we were having trouble sleeping, and everyone was awake. I could tell she found the whole experience quite frustrating. We were eager to take our tests the following day, and if they came back negative would leave…

The Books of Shangri-La — Oh, how I long to leave this hotel room, a hotel room that the early nineties had shat out with faecal fury. I will use photos from Turkey and Salome for my quarantine posts; these are my happy places. You might also notice that my posts are a little shorter. …