Given where we are going, it seems appropriate to name this blog in honour of the Chinese philosopher, Confucius. That is, after one of his many, oft-quoted, sayings: ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’. After all, flying from London to Beijing will clock up 8,000 km. Our return, Hong Kong to London, will add a further 9,500 km. In between, over a four week period, criss-crossing China itself, we will travel 4,000 km by train. So, I make that 21,500 km; a journey of 13,360 miles, in total.
Furthermore, my writing of this introductory page coincides exactly with a long-held personal determination to learn (properly so) an ancient language. So, as we take our first step towards China and all that truly ancient civilisation has to offer and teach us, I will, quite literally, be learning my a, b, c. More accurately, अ, ब, च. My first step towards mastering the 3,500 year old language that is Sanskrit.
adragonapparent-zfyde 