A week in mainland China (and too many dumplings)
Living in Singapore makes mainland China feel suddenly nearby — a four-to-six hour flight instead of a once-in-a-decade pilgrimage.
We spent most of the week in Beijing: the Forbidden City (go early, wear shoes you trust), a hutong walk that turned into an accidental three-hour dumpling tour, and one very earnest afternoon at the Summer Palace where Alex tried to explain consulting to Molly's cousin in Mandarin and everyone was very kind about it.
High-speed rail to a smaller city for Molly's extended family felt like the real reason we came. There is something humbling about sitting at a table where you are the youngest adults by twenty years and still being handed the best pieces of fish.
Coming back through Changi, Singapore looked different — less like a posting, more like the place we return to. That might be what travel is for.