Archive
95 posts since 21 December 2004.
2026 1 post
Keep your domain pointing at your Umbrel with Cloudflare DDNS
If you host apps on your Umbrel and want to reach them from anywhere using your own domain, there is one problem you will run into sooner or later: the IP…
2025 1 post
How do I stop Apple Music from automatically opening on my Mac?
If you don't use Apple Music it can be infuriating when it keeps opening when you press the media control keys on your Mac keyboard or the play/pause button…
2015 – 2024 · no posts
2014 3 posts
Overturning the Monopoly board: Thoughts on gamification in Foursquare's Swarm
Since the release of Foursquare's new App Swarm last week, there has been a vocal minority of existing users complaining about the removal of gamification…
Foursquare's new app Swarm is location sharing done right
Foursquare today launched its brand new social location and check-in app, Swarm. It's available now for iOS and Android with WP support due later this…
Why Foursquare splitting in two is a bold and brilliant move
Last week, Foursquare announced that it is splitting its service in two. They are spinning off the social elements from their existing App, including its…
2013 5 posts
Foursquare and the problem of SuperUser fatigue
UPDATE: As if on queue, things are suddenly looking up. :)
Foursquare Tips & Etiquette: How to improve your recommendations and get the most out of Foursquare
Foursquare is probably the greatest mobile experience ever built since it has the power to "profoundly touch and co-create our real life experiences". With…
Stranded in the Philippines: Exploring Boracay, Puerto Galera, Manila, and Taal Volcano
Stuck in Manila! Emily makes the best of it at the Pearl Manila Hotel pool...
The Foursquare Map Problem in China - A plea for a solution!
Long term users of Foursquare in China will be all too familiar with the mapping problem in the mobile app - the location pins for all venues are displaying…
A Birthday Escape to Yangshuo and the Longji Rice Terraces
Yao Minority Woman, Longji Rice Terrraces.
2012 3 posts
AppleScript: Automatically Quit/Pause Transmission when using Viscosity VPN Client
This article explains how to use some AppleScript to quit/pause the Transmission BitTorrent client when you connect to your VPN through Viscosity and…
Ayi Time Sheet Form
If you live in China, and have an Ayi, you may find this Ayi Time Sheet useful.
Help Beijing win a #4sqCities Badge!
Foursquare](http://www.foursquare.com) have recently launched a global competition for international cities to have a City Badge launched for their town.…
2011 5 posts
Douglas Adams and the Ship of Theseus
Douglas Adam's always had a remarkably insightful way of looking at the world. One of my favorite quotes, from one of my favorite books where he ponders the…
Lost Bag in Taxi: A Cautionary Tale for Expats Living in Beijing
What follows is the story of what happens when you inadvertently leave your suitcase in a Beijing taxi. Little did I realise, when the light bulb pinged…
How to get your Beijing Motorcycle Driving License
These very useful instructions were written by my friend Ruud a couple of years ago. I just finally passed my Beijing Car Driving License today, and have…
Bookmarklet to add Torrents to Transmission from your iPhone
I have long been looking for a way to easily add a Torrent file to my Bittorrent client when out and about. Obviously the iPhone is a great solution for…
I'm Back!
After a four year absense I have decided to start this thing up again. I've given the site a basic refresh and upgraded everything. There are still a lot of…
2010 3 posts
Coasteering near Swanage, Dorset
Coasteering on the Jurassic Coast, Dorset for Duncan's Stag weekend. Edited and generally mucked about with by Gav and Olly. We felt the music was suitably…
Ginkgo: The Posters
Ginkgo put on live music every weekend and plenty of parties besides, and each one got its own poster for the walls, the website and the newsletter. Here…
Life at Ginkgo: Pub Quizzes, 44 Pricks and the Perfect Pork Scratching
Besides the restaurant and the live music, these are some of the things that made Ginkgo Ginkgo, in the blog's own words.
2009 · no posts
2008 3 posts
Ginkgo: First Viewing of Ginkgo after renovations
Here is the first selection of photos taken of the new bar after renovations of the old Room 101 were completed.
Ginkgo: Turning Over a New Leaf
After Vineyard Cafe, my next venture was Ginkgo: a bar, coffee shop and live music space downstairs and a European restaurant upstairs, on Andingmen Nei Da…
Vineyard Cafe: Go, Films, Gypsy Jazz and Live Music
Once we were up and running, the café's back room and courtyard hosted all sorts of evenings. These are the ones the blog kept.
2007 6 posts
Vineyard Cafe: Introducing Vineyard Cinema
Many months ago we purchased a projector for our back room with great plans for its use. However, apart from one event here and the occasional use for an…
Gypsy Jazz at Nanluoguxiang Street Festival
In September 2007 the gypsy jazz guitar duo Daniel and Nico played at the Nanluoguxiang street festival with Marie-Claude and Wang Yi (Zoe). I filmed three…
Vineyard Cafe: Globalisation in Action (Brunch at the Vineyard, Apparently!)
The other week the Independent newspaper in the UK ran an article about British business in China, in which we were featured. My friend Gavin in the UK was…
Vineyard Cafe: “You like me, you really like me!”
So said Sally Field in her 1984 Oscar acceptance speech. While we are unlikely to be quite as gushing as her, we would like to thank everyone who voted for…
Vineyard Cafe on Beijing Television
Several weeks back we were visited by the makers of a food programme on Beijing Television so that they could interview us about the restaurant. We finally…
Five Online Predictions for 2007 (or, everyone is is writing theirs so why can't I!)
Well it's the new year and my blog has certainly suffered from a considerable amount of neglect in the last few months. This in part is because my blogging…
2006 26 posts
Vineyard Cafe in the Press
The magazines and newspapers around the city are now beginning to publish their reviews of us. The first came from the Beijing Morning Post on 22nd…
Vineyard Cafe: Photographed by the Beijing Photo Club
The other day we had a guy from a Beijing Photography Club in the restaurant who took lots of photos. When he was done he kindly gave us copies so we have…
Vineyard Cafe: Final Additions and Repairs
Over the last week, we have had the builders back in sporadically to add some new features and fix a few small problems. We have now knocked down the…
Vineyard Cafe: We are Open!
After weeks of battling builders, suppliers, government departments, neighbours, landlords and each other, we are at last finally open. Delicious pizzas,…
Vineyard Cafe: Nathalie & Christel's Interone Leaving Party
On saturday, Nathalie & Christel from Interone Beijing kindly asked us to host their leaving party from Beijing. Almost the entire office from Interone came…
Vineyard Cafe: Our First Customers
After the chaos of my 30th birthday party on Saturday (when unfortunately I was too busy to pick up my camera, so no pics :( ), we had a calmer few days…
Vineyard Cafe: Vine Planting Ceremony
Back in April, after choosing our name and coming up with the concept for Vineyard Cafe, Will & Xuduan went off on an adventure to a vineyard in the…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 12: Chef Training Begins
After firing our builders for finally making more mistakes than we would tolerate, we had a few days to begin training our staff, before their replacements…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 11: Spraying the Floor
This week the lights were finished, the floor was sprayed and the improved extractor system, requested by health and safety was fitted. Not long now...
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 10: Floors and Lights
This week things began to take shape as the lights were built and they began to lay the floor in the front room. They also dug the hole where we will be…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 9: Interior Woodwork
This week, while the bar and wine rack took shape inside, demolition of the buildings to our north commenced outside.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 8: Painting the Walls
This week the windows and frames were painted, work began on the bar and the frame for the front door was built.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 7: Boxing the Beams
This week the beams were boxed in and painted, the floors were covered with concrete and the base coats were painted.
Building Vineyard Cafe, Weeks 5 & 6: Building the New Walls
After a two week hiatus when we feared we were going to be demolished as part of the Olympics refurbishments, we were finally able to get back to work with…
By the Skin of our Teeth
Well we have the official word - we are safe (at least for now). They have posted signs around the area stating the building numbers they are going to…
Balancing on the Razor's Edge
As many people now know I recently left my job to, among other things, open a restaurant here in Beijing. Things have been progressing in a more or less…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 2: Plumbing in the Kitchen
Things progressed as ditches were dug for all the plumbing and the windows were taken out.
Chav Arse Regal
On wednesday evening I went to the Chivas Regal "Milan" party. This was one of those events where the funds put in definitely exceeded the taste of those…
Perks of the World Traveller
Having been upgraded to Business class on my flight back to the UK two weeks ago, I felt that my years of flying back and forth from China to the UK were at…
The Long Way Round
Ben drove up from Somerset on Friday to take visit and take a break from his law studies. On Saturday we went for a walk though the Winkworth Arboretum just…
Building Vineyard Cafe, Week 1: Stripping the Roof
Construction kicked off with a mighty blow (or is that several not so mighty ones? ;) ) swung from Will's hammer. For your enjoyment we even videoed it.
Vineyard Cafe: The Original Restaurant
In 2006 I left my job to open a restaurant in Beijing with Will and Xuduan: Vineyard Cafe, a western restaurant and bar in an old courtyard building on Wu…
Sailing in Thailand over Chinese Year
Only a year after I was last there, I found myself back in Thailand, this time with Robbie and his parents, Bunny and Montsi, on their boat, Effendi. Over…
Skiing at Huaibei
On Saturday a whole group of us drove to the Huabei International Ski resort three hours north of Beijing for a day of burning up and down the longest run!…
Beijing Third Ring Road Collapses
A sewage pipeline leak in the early hours of yesterday morning in Beijing caused an eastern section of the city's Third Ring Road to cave in, creating a…
New Year's Beijing Style
Well it is now Wednesday and I can safely say that I am now recovered from the weekend. Sunday however was not pretty. Spent most of the afternoon curled up…
2005 37 posts
Cat
This is a cat. He is mine. His name is Hulu. Long story....
Knightons Portrait
I was browsing the web earlier and somehow stumbled upon a drawing of the house I grew up in. It seems the new owners must have had it commissioned. Amazing…
Thanksgiving
On Sunday I went to a Thanksgiving party at Tom's house put on by Candice. It was a pretty relaxed afair with lots of good food, wine and Charlie spiced…
Trip to Sichuan over National Day Holiday
Last week, over the October holiday, Robbie and I flew to Sichuan for a week, where we met up with his cousin, Roger and girlfriend Eva who were spending a…
Hei Long Tan by Land Rover
After recovering from Mark's birthday, Robbie and myself managed to talk Charles into driving us into the countryside on Sunday so we could escape the city…
Mark Blick's Birthday
On Saturday we headed to Souk by the west gate of Chaoyang park for Mark's Birthday. Dinner, sheesha and then off to Apperitivo for digestifs.
China to Block Skype Usage
According to a Reuters report China is starting to block Skype service in Shenzhen in south China. Local Chinese media report that China Telecom has plans…
Beijing Pop Festival
This weekend, for the second time this summer, music once again filled Chaoyang Park for the Beijing Pop Festival. Headlining was former Stone Roses…
How d'you like them Apples?
My colleague Chris returned from a business trip to the US today bringing me this little beauty. I loved my iPod Photo until it was unfortunately stolen out…
Batch Adjusting the EXIF Time & Date data in your Digital Photos
Have you ever had the problem of going on holiday to a different time zone, and on your return discovering that you forgot to set your digital camera to the…
Tom VD's Birthday through a Canon F1.4 50mm
On Saturday I spent the afternoon with Tom, St. John and Denise travelling over to the huge camera market in Wu Ke Song in the west of the city. The place…
I.T. UNITED Office Trip to the Coutryside
This weekend my office went on our annual outing which consisted of two days hiking in the mountains three hours west of Beijing.
Last.FM Personalized Music Radio
I have recently been listening to the Last.FM radio service powered by Audioscrobbler which is really cool. This offers free high-quality personalized radio that you can listen to online.
Sunday Trip to "Intelligence Valley"
On Sunday Ivan, Robbie, Slobodan, Kendall and myself drove out of Beijing in Ivan's Merc and went for lunch at 'The Orchard' restaurant about an hour away from the city. We then drove towards Huairou in search of a place called "Intelligence Valley" which Robbie had heard about.
Mongolian Rug
I bought this beautiful rug in Mongolia which you can see here modeled by Robbie.
Mopedophiles No More
Today is my birthday. Generally a day for receiving but as I left the office just now I discovered that it is also a day of taking away. My groovy red…
Plaxo connects Thunderbird, Yahoo & AOL/AIM
Plaxo is an contact management service that helps yout to keep all your online address books updated and in sync with one another. Additionally, it also can synchronise your calendar, notes and tasks so that they are available wherever you go. I have been using it for the last few years primarily to keep my home and work address books in sync, and find it increbibly useful as a backup tool. Until recently it existed as a web based service, and also had plugins for Outlook and Outlook Express, but they have now begun to expand their reach onto other platforms.
Mongolia Trip
Last week, at pretty much the last minute, I decided to jump on a plane and visit my friends Gerlee and Saraa in Mongolia. I guess the place has always had a mysterious appeal and it did not disappoint. It was great fun and it gave me a chance to give my camera a proper test drive on the steppes.
Tag your Tunes
As an iPod owner with a shed-load of music, I am always on the lookout for good software for automatically tagging (i.e. adding the track, artist, album…
Marathon
I was asked to participate in a marathon today. 'Piss off,' I said. 'Oh, come on, it's for spastics and blind kids,' they insisted. Fuck, I thought. I could…
Audioscrobbler
Yesterday I began playing around with an interesting community service called Audioscrobbler. Essentially it is a system that monitors the music that you listen to on your computer and then recommends new artists based on the listening habits of other users on the network. Geeky but actually pretty cool.
Summer Jam Party at Miyun Reservoir
This weekend Beijing escaped the heat of the city and retreated to Miyun reservoir an hour and a half north of the city for the Summer Jam Party. Here are the photos from the event.
London 2012
London 2012, originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Submit your Quotes
I have recently add this Quote of the Day function that you can see on the right handside. I have put in a few quotes but I am looking for more. If anyone has any suggestions then please submist them by posting a comment to this entry.
Waterskiing Trip to a reservoir north of Beijing
For those of us who live in Beijing we are constantly looking for new and different things to do at weekends. Thanks to some hard work by Robbie, this…
Friday Lunch at Mediterraneo
Friday Lunch at Mediterraneo with Lincoln and Chris, originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Kong is King
The first trailer for director Peter Jackson's dramatic adventure King Kong is now online and I must say it does look very cool indeed.
Wordpress-ure
There have been some complaints (especially from one person in particular) concerning the lack of recent posts on my blog. My argument of course is that this blogging lark is about quality not quantity!
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice Originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Trans 2005 Concert in Chao Yang Park
This weekend Beijing was host to the Trans 2005 concert put on as part of the L'Annee France en Chine. From 3pm till 10-30pm on Saturday and Sunday, a selection of French bands and DJs performed on a specially erected stage in the middle of Chao Yang Park in the east of the city.
Hidden Assets in Beijing
Erica flew into town after a 3 year absence. It was great to see you E!
Lightning Strikes Beijing
Lightning Strikes Beijing Originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Belgian Marc opens a Belgian Bar
Belgian Marc opens a Belgian Bar Originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Vespa Clonage
Vespa Clonage Originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
Scooter Man!
Scooter Man! Originally uploaded by Salted Lolly.
New Developments
Well, after reaching a level of stagnancy that would convince anyone who knows me to have accepted that this was another passing fad, things are finally…
Far and Few: Sailing in Thailand After the Tsunami
Arriving back in to a Beijing blizzard made the last thirteen days sailing in the Andaman sea even harder to leave behind. Post Tsunami, there was…
2004 2 posts
Christmas Eve Dog Walk
Well today I decided to start messing around with the Gallery tool, and have uploaded some photos I took this morning. Mum and I took the dogs out for a…
The Blog is Live!
Well after weeks of anticipation, Salted Lolly if finally live. Check back soon for updates.