NAVJOT SINGH - MARKETER, WRITER & EDITOR 雷辛格 - 作者, 市场
  • Home
  • Who am I?
  • 中文
  • Travel & Books
  • Photographs
  • Navjot's Blog
  • Airline PR
  • Portfolio
  • Terms & Conditions

Suzhou's (and China's) slums are a dying breed

4/23/2012

 
Picture
A typical slum in Suzhou: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
According to many observers and analysts China's infrastructure is seen to be at least 30 years ahead of developing economies such as India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and most countries on the African Continent. Even though this fact may stand, and even though China's economy is booming at a dizzying pace, nevertheless it is still possible to come across areas where pockets of Chinese towns and cities have slums such as the one pictured in the eastern city of Suzhou.

The one thing that one may notice immediately is that the slums in most parts of China look rather like rundown European style homes that have huge piles of rubbish thrown on the doorstep (as opposed to a slum that one may see in the shanty towns of India, Africa and other 3rd world nations complete with metal corrugated iron roofs). 

Most of the slum dwellers are construction workers who first build these temporary slums before they start construction on building sky scrapers. Most slums have electricity, proper sanitation (every home in China has a toilet- either a Chinese style or a Western style one), gas, and water (perhaps not clean water but it does the job).

The Chinese government has made great efforts to eliminate these slums from the map of the country forever, and has been successful in doing so. A perfect example of this was demonstrated during the Beijing 2008 Olympics when the Chinese government demolished thousands of slums around the city, replacing them with new flats and homes. In return the slum dwellers were provided with complimentary homes or large sums of cash.

One thing is for sure is that when you see how strong these slums are (in terms of the fragile infrastructure that withstands all kinds of weather), then you tend to admire human ingenuity much more. Thankfully for China, slums are becoming hard to find, and are in fact a dying breed. Let’s hope that it's only a matter of time when we shall start to see a similar trend in other developing nations so that one day poverty can for sure be turned into history. 
Picture
Another shot of a slum in Suzhou: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Well, this slum boat has a bike on top too!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Amazing that someone can sleep, work, and live in this small hole in the wall. Seems like it hasn't been cleaned in years: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
The far majority of slum dwellers live in hand made huts by the riverside: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
A slum dweller washing her clothes using water from the nearby well: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

A 101-year old man runs the London Marathon and the world does not know...

4/22/2012

 
Picture
101 year old Fauja Singh: Photo Copyright Press Association Agency (file photo)
You would assume that someone at the ripe old age of 101 would either be relaxing at home whiling away their time, or taking a stroll in the park. However, not for Fauja Singh (no relation to me) as the 101-year old legend is nothing short of an extraordinary human, and many people can certainly learn a few things or two from him. Fauja means Soldier in Panjabi language, and he stands by his name all the way! Singh, who started taking running seriously at the ripe old age of 89 years old after his son and wife passed away, holds UK records for the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1000m, and 3000m for his age group, records all set within a single 94-minute period. He attributes his physical fitness and longevity to abstaining from smoking and alcohol and to following a simple vegetarian diet. 

On the 17th of October 2011, Fauja Singh amazed the world when he completed a 42-kilometre marathon at the Toronto waterfront to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. Setting a new record, he finished the Scotia bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in eight hours, 11 minutes and 5.9 seconds and became the world’s oldest marathoner.

Yesterday, at the age of 101, Fauja Singh completed the 26.2 miles London Marathon. With this marathon, Fauja Singh has run eight marathons including the London and New York races. Prior to yesterday's race, the great man confirmed that he is retiring from major marathons, but will continue to do small runs (5km is ‘short’ by his standards).  

Surely Fauja Singh's achievements must be accounted for as humankind's most remarkable feats. For his achievement NOT to be reported by some of the world’s major media outlets, the weekend newspapers, magazines, commercial radio, or television makes you wonder how myopic the global media really is. Beatles photos going on sale, ongoing election ramblings, hopeless espionage stories, hens laying 'eggless' chicks, and rockets by developing nations flying into space taking precedent. It’s just surprising how low media can be sometimes. It's completely diabolical.    

My concerns are these:

1.    Surprisingly it was NOT a story in many news services around the world except the BBC. Why? It beggars belief that major news outlets have room on their websites about princes joking on running at a marathon, or even about sharks and crocs being caught by someone…but nothing about a truly remarkable human being who through his actions is showing the world what great feats can be achieved when you put your heart and mind into something (and at that age as well).. 

2.    He is not some old aged pensioner from down the road - he is a respected and distinguished runner who has broken WORLD records. He has previously been featured alongside David Beckham, and Mohammad Ali on an Adidas advert.

3.    He is a living inspiration for MILLIONS of people who dream to keep fit and live LONG through exercise and eating good food. How many 100-year old people do we know that can even run for 1 mile let alone for 26 MILES?!

4.    This was his LAST major marathon, and a special one too because his inspiration for running came about by watching the London Marathon on television before he started running  at the age of 89 years old. Again, question that lingers on many mouths is WHY was he not mentioned?

5.    When Fauja Singh ran in the Hong Kong marathon earlier this year, even at that time the Hong Kong media did not report on his achievements.

Honestly? This man deserves more media attention than he gets. What exactly is going on in newsrooms when stories like this go amiss? What else are they missing at the weekends? Where's Rupert when you need his assistance?

Fancy a donkey for dinner?!

4/19/2012

 
Picture
A joint in Suzhou selling all kinds of dishes containing donkey and horse meat: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Utterly shocking as it may seem, but yes, this restaurant in Suzhou sells donkey and horse sandwiches/burgers. While horsemeat is not available in most parts of China, the Chinese people generally accept it (and no, much to the stereotypes about Chinese culture around the world, it's not popular in this country!).

Nevertheless, China is officially the world's largest producer of horse/donkey meat with around 241,000 tonnes of the meat produced every year. Most of this produced meat is exported to Europe, or Central Asia. Apart from Suzhou, other parts of China where horse meat may be a delicacy includes Guangdong Province, Beijing, Hejian, Guilin, Baoding, and the city of Jinan (provincial capital of Shandong Province, China.

The people of the wonderful nation of Kazakhstan are the largest consumers of horse meat (even the much loved Borat adorns it!) as it's part of their daily diet. In Europe, major consumers include the Italians, French, and the people of Belgium. 

I have never tried this meat (I don't have the stomach for such 'exotic' offerings), however, the restaurant owner told me that the meat tastes similar to a tough yet sweetened beef. So, next time when you are taking a stroll down the street in China, or enjoying a meal where you let your Chinese friends do the ordering, you may want to double-check that what you are eating is, in fact, what you think it is.
Picture
Preparing for a portion of 'Donkey & Chips"?!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Does Suzhou SIP qualify as a 'ghost city'?

4/18/2012

 
Picture
Is it a runway? Could be. A typical empty road in Suzhou SIP: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Maybe. A few days ago I had to be in Shanghai for an early morning meeting (9.30am is considered early when you are commuting in from 2nd tier cities such as Suzhou.). For a trip that should have taken less than around one hour door-to-door from my home in Suzhou Tianyu to the meeting room near Shanghai’s People's Square, it turned out to become a 3 hour frustrating slog because of the ever great Suzhou taxi which never arrived. In Suzhou (especially in the Suzhou Industrial Park (S.I.P.), expat area where I live), it is difficult to get taxis anytime of the day, and customers have to dial 67776777 to order a taxi. My frustration commenced at 6.30am and went on until 7.20am during which time I constantly kept on dialing the hotline number only for it to be 'busy' (read= nobody in the call operation room!). In the end I was left with no choice but to take a local bus to the train station (which also arrived late). The beauty of it all was that the bus not only cost a meagre 1RMB (as opposed to the 60RMB that would have cost in the taxi), but it also took only around 25 minutes to get to Suzhou Railway Station (taxi somehow does take longer even if I had taken one!). Suzhou is split into 3 major districts: Suzhou Industrial Park (S.I.P.), Suzhou New District (S.N.D.), and downtown Suzhou (which is busy, historically and culturally rich, and feels more like the real China.). In this article I am referring to Suzhou SIP (and perhaps even SND) where the roads are new and just deserted for most of the time.

When it comes to poor provision of public transport in 2nd tier Chinese cities, then Suzhou's SIP area is no exception. Some other Chinese cities where residents suffer similar situations include Hangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin, Ningbo, and Nanjing. The vast majority of Suzhou's residents either ride E-bikes, or they are rich enough to own cars (the former outnumbers the latter). It would be fair to say that the SIP area looks nothing short of being a ghost town for the majority of the day (and night!) with empty roads that have the occasional tractor or a person on an E-bike. The roads are wide and empty enough to land a small plane should you wish to do so, and there is hardly a whisker in sight!

The opening of the city's first metro line in the summer should make life easier for Suzhou's residents. However even when that is in operation it would be tricky because the metro line (there will only be one line to begin with) won't connect most of the focal points of the city including the city’s famous landmarks. For those connections, people would still have to dial the hotline number and hope that someone picks up the phone on the other side! Note that the operators only speak Chinese, so if you have not picked up enough Chinese yet, then learn how to order a taxi at least because it will become very useful should you start to live in a 2nd tier Chinese city. 
Picture
Signs in the city are already up for the metro which opens in the summer of 2012: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Beautiful, but not a whisker in sight. Colorful neon lights adorn the trees and even at 7pm nobody on the streets of Suzhou SIP: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Another empty road...welcome to Suzhou SIP: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Oh my god!! I can see a car!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
What a shame that such a beautiful road is EMPTY!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Wondering if there is any need for that 'No Horn' sign on the right hand side of the road?: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Get ready for take-off'!! Would love to drive a Ferrari on this road- no speed limits here: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Shen Dai Da Dao (Modern Avenue)- the main road that runs through Suzhou SIP area. Photo taken at 6pm- a time when it is rush hour in most major cities: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Another part of Modern Avenue, taken at 8am (rush hour). I think you get the point!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Where is everyone? This photo was taken at 7pm in Suzhou SIP: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Line 1 of the Suzhou metro opened on the 1st May 2012. The line crosses through the whole of Suzhou from Zhongyuan (SIP) to Mudu (past SND). From end to end the journey takes around 50 minutes: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
The Suzhou Metro card: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Plenty of room to shake it all about! These people put an empty road to another use...dancing.: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Communication between Pilots and ATC in China

4/11/2012

 
Picture
Cockpit of a Boeing 737-800NG aircraft belonging to Air China: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Captain Bill Johnson prepares his Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for departure at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
I have had a few people asking me the question: How do pilots and ATC communicate over Chinese airspace? The answer is: In aviation English (which I will give an example of at the end of this blog article). 

It is nothing new that most pilots operating on Chinese airlines cannot (with all due respect), speak good enough English (or none whatsoever in some cases). It would be true that the current and the future generation of Chinese pilots that are trained in Australia or the U.S.A. can converse in English, but those who are trained in China may not be able to converse in English (especially veteran pilots). The same goes for airline and military pilots from Japan, Korea, Russia, and other countries where English may not be widely used even as a second language. Having spoken to a few airline pilots from various international airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Emirates, the problems come about when pilots whose first language is English are trying to work out what is going on when they listen to the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) transmissions over the airwaves. It certainly does not help if the local ATC and local pilots are communicating in Chinese rather than the international aviation language (i.e. English).

Captain Bill Johnson, who flies the Boeing 777-300ER says though the problem is a global one, it can be more problematic over Chinese airspace because of the seriousness of the language issues. 'When we are flying over Chinese airspace, more times than one we have to repeat everything to make sure that the Chinese ATC and other aircraft in the immediate airspace can understand what we are saying,' said Captain Johnson who has over 20 years flying experience.

‘The main difference between flying over China or Russia, and other parts of the world is that the measurements used by Chinese and Russian ATC and pilots are in meters. The metric altitudes translate into feet, and most airlines give pilots a conversion table. The metric altitudes translate into feet, and most airlines give pilots a conversion table,’ said Captain Johnson.

Captain Syed Abdul Aziz A. Rahman who flies the Airbus A340, told me that the Chinese and Russians have devised their own meters to feet conversion tables, which can be problematic if you have never flown into Russia or China. "Basically they have assumed that 300 meters = 1000 feet. Airlines have to then change it to their own specific standard operating procedure. The First Officer (or the Pilot not flying is most cases) reads the metric equivalent  in feet which is then inputted into the FMS and altitude window by the Captain (or the Pilot who is flying) who also checks the ECAM ( Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor) screen for agreement on both sides. The procedure, which takes around 5 minutes, finishes by both pilots agreeing visually and verbally," said Captain Rahman, a veteran with over 22 years flying experience. The checking procedure at the end is so important because otherwise pilots can have problems when flying over international airspace.

I fondly recall sitting in the jumpseat of a China Southern Airlines Boeing 757 from Guangzhou to Sanya where the captain hardly spoke a single word of English. He spoke some aviation language such as 'Standby', 'Affirmative', 'OK, China Southern 6748 climb to flight level 350'. But to my surprise some of the most important instructions were in Chinese, such as 'Cleared for take-off', 'Cleared to land', 'V1.....V2...Rotate' were all in Chinese! His English, with all due respect, was so limited that instead of telling me to wait he shouted aviation terms 'standby....standby!'. On that particular occasion even the First Officer could not communicate in normal English.

Captain Sheetal Rajan, a senior training Captain on the Boeing 747-400 with the Boeing company and CEO of 'Air Safety Equipment', says that even though the minimum required international standard for English is IACO Level 4 (which is equivalent to Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)), he is still surprised that some pilots in places such as China and Russia tend to have a lower level of English than the international required standard. ‘I suppose they may just rely on using aviation English,’ says Captain Rajan.

Because of the amount of traffic in the skies and the quick turnaround time needed at airports for take-offs and landings, the vast majority of ATC around the world speak quickly (a crude example is the ATC at London Heathrow where a plane lands or take-offs EVERY 50 seconds or so!). In busy airspaces such as India and China it is no exception. Even a one minute delay in the aviation industry can end up costing hundreds of dollars, so ATC are always under pressure to make sure that planes get from A to B as safely and quickly as possible. With this in mind most of the ATCs whose first language is not English (i.e. Indians, Chinese, Thai, Russians etc.) tend to speak quickly to the pilots. However to eliminate confusion they have to repeat it twice over so that the pilots can understand what they are going on about. Unless, of course, there is not that much traffic around so then ATC can speak as clearly and slowly as possible (which is rare around busy airports such as Shanghai Pudong, Beijing etc.).

The skies over China can get ridiculously busy, and with the aviation industry seeing a fast growth in the country, it would only be time when Chinese pilots will need to start speaking fluent English.

Examples of aviation language:

Standby = please wait
Retard = Its an autothrottle callout during flare to retard the thrust levers (normally you hear the FMS say this 3 times….’Retard, retard, retard’)
Affirmative = OK,I understand
Flight Level 350 = 35,000 feet (similarly Flight Level 360 = 36,000 feet and so on)
Cleared for take-off/Cleared to land (easy to understand!)
Climb Up/Descend (easy to understand!)
Turn right heading 180 degrees/Turn left heading 180 degrees etc.
Speed back to 170knots (or 180 knots etc.)
The alphabet from A-Z is standard as with the police/fire/ambulance services (A= Alpha, B = Bravo, C= Charlie, D= Delta, E= Echo, F= Foxtrot, G= Golf, H= Hotel, I= India, J= Juliet, K= Kilo, L= Lima, M= Mike, N= November, O= Oscar, P= Papa, Q= Quebec, R= Romeo, S=Sierra, T=Tango, U=Uniform, V=Victor, W=Whiskey, X=X-ray, Y= Yankee, Z=Zulu !!)
Picture
The conversion charts (yellow with black excel table) can be seen available for pilots to easily convert the feet and meters: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
A close up of a height conversion chart displayed on the throttles of this A320 aircraft: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER in-flight capture (flying somewhere over western China). Notice the stars visible through the windows..: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Driving Miss Daisy?

4/11/2012

 
Picture
Chinese woman with a lavish large hat on a bus in Suzhou: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Probably not. When the sun comes out you can guarantee that Chinese women will do whatever it takes to cover their face from the sun (even if it is a few degrees warm!). This includes carrying the umbrella, wearing a flamboyant hat (take note of the photo!), and/or applying lots of 'face whitening cream' as possible. The Asian fear is prevalent that the darker the skin the less beautiful you are, and in China it is no surprise to see that women will take all kinds of measures to make sure that they have that glittering shiny ‘white’ look. It’s also a socially status symbol thing for Asian women to must maintain as fair a skin as possible (i.e. their close circle friends will also look and comment on them should they have a slight whisker in sight of a tan on their face!). In China women also drink Collagen (naturally occuring proteins in mammals in skin tissue), and other similar products to make their skin more fair and shiny. I have overheard Chinese women gossip and say things like: ‘Oh my, you look so beautiful and white today!’, or worse enough ‘Oh dear, what happened to your face, why so dark today?’. The topic is considered a serious source of discussion for housewives around Asia.

On the other hand, in Asia, if a man carries an umbrella or applies any kind of lotion on their face to protect them from the sun then they are considered to be feminine (this includes sun lotion!). And if a man is accompanying his girlfriend or wife in hot weather then he must carry the umbrella for her otherwise he is not considered a gentleman (very true in China). This is perhaps one of the reasons why in most Asian countries you see lots of fair skinned ladies, whilst the men are darker skinned (more apparent in countries like India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, China, and others).

Social taboo it may be, but you can be sure that Asian women, such as the one in the photo, can enjoy being Daisy Werthan for as long as they can.

Picture
Raining? Naah....she's just afraid of the Sun!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
Picture
Collagen and other similar 'Skin Whitening' drinks are available over the counter in China. Chinese women love them!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh

Qing Ming Festival in China...Easter around the world.

4/4/2012

 
In the past three days, people here in China had the luxury of enjoying a national public holiday. These three days in China were known as the ‘Qing Ming Festival’. With a distinguished history of over 2,500 years, the focus of this 3-day festival is for Chinese people to pay respects to their ancestors by going to their places of burial. Pronounced ‘Ching Ming’ festival, the occasion is not much of a celebration but rather a time to reflect on the life of the ancestors. Traditionally, people place a whole rooster at the tombstone, or a bouquet of flowers to show respect. The rooster symbolizes prosperity and life. However, in these modern times people prefer to place various kinds of items such as fresh fruit for example, and even place the items on the tombs that would represent something associated with their loved one (it can be anything). The festival is formally known as the ‘Sweeping Tomb’ festival because people use the occasion to ‘sweep clean’ the tombs of their loved ones, and then they may place some burning incense sticks as well.

Today (4th April 2012) was the last day of the public holiday period, and people used the occasion to go for family picnics, fly some kites (very popular in China!), or just take a rest from the hectic Chinese workstyle. As with any major holiday in China, all the parks, shopping malls, roads, and places of interest were jam packed for these 3 days because everyone only has this golden period to take a break away from work (in China most companies only offer a maximum of 10 working days annual leave so it’s a very limited opportunity for the locals to take a well deserved break).

Though still slightly chilly, the weather here in Suzhou is getting warmer (albeit slowly). Suzhou residents must be glad to know that thankfully the horrible bone chilling Siberian cold weather has disappeared from China's eastern region. With that in mind, it’s the perfect weather to ride my e-bike along the empty streets of Suzhou SIP.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world (in the U.K., U.S.A., and all other Christian countries), it's Easter. One holiday in this country gives way to another holiday in other countries. Just like Christmas and the Western New Year, Easter is not celebrated as a public holiday in China. However, that said I am sure I'll enjoy a few chocolate eggs available in the expat shops and think of home, sweet home :-)

    RSS Feed

    Get in Touch:

    LIFE MATTERS

    Here I share my thoughts
    and experiences during
    my travels, and how some things have affected my life as an expat and world traveller. Travelling is about capturing that moment in life. Every word, view and opinion on this page is that of Navjot Singh - except where indicated. The most recent is at the top. Scroll down to read the archive. Or search using CTRL+F (COMMAND + F) and enter a keyword to search the page. Just some of the stories you never heard before.

    The NAVJOT-SINGH.COM web blog is separate to this web site....Click blog, which may 
    not be visible in some
    countries due to local
    firewall restrictions,
    so in those cases this
    weblog may be read. The weblog also includes some of my press trip reports- most of which are not published on the official blog because of copyright issues. The weblog also contains articles that may be associated directly with a PR trip for a country, airline or a hotel. These are PR reviews done in relations with various companies.

    If you are an investor or a trend watcher then you may find this website useful as investing has a lot to do with personal observations and finding the ideal trend or next big thing. The average human on the street frequently knows far more about the state of the economy than politicians, university professors, subject matter experts, and financial analysts who seldom travel, or if they do so, only from one hotel to another hotel! The pulse and vibrancy of an economy is nowhere more visible than on a country's streets.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    All photos and words
    are © Navjot Singh unless stated. Photos taken by others or by agencies are appropriately copyrighted under the respective name. No photo or word/s may be taken without the prior written permission by the author (i.e. Navjot Singh). All Rights Reserved.


    qr code
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Navjot being interviewed by Cecila Lu at GDTV.
    Navjot Singh (雷辛格)

    Archives

    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    October 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    January 2019
    October 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    November 2007
    September 2007
    August 2007
    July 2007
    April 2007
    August 2006

    Categories

    All
    10 Yuan Shop
    9/11
    AA Gill
    Abu Dhabi
    Abu Hamza
    Acqua Restaurant
    Aerogulf
    Afghanistan
    Airbus
    Airbus A350 Xwb
    Airbus A380
    Air Canada
    Air China
    Aircraft Safety
    Air Force One
    Air Force Two
    Air India
    Airline
    Air Malta
    Airport
    Air Travel
    Alibaba.com
    Alibaba Group
    Alitalia
    Allders
    Altanitis
    A Luxury Collection Resort
    American Airlines
    Ami Vashi
    Amsterdam
    Andrew Reich
    Angelo's Bar
    Antarctic Odyssey - A New Beginning
    Apm Line
    Apple Corporation
    Arc De Triomphe
    Art Museum Of Xian Qu Jiang82514c41ff
    Asiana Airlines 214
    At.mosphere Burj Khalifa
    Au Baroudeur
    Autumn
    Aviation
    Azure
    Babar Ahmad
    Baby Milk
    Badaling
    Baftas-2014
    Bagram-747-crash
    Bai Yun Restaurant
    Bananas
    Bandar Abbas
    Bangkok
    Banyan Tree Hangzhou
    Banyan Tree Sanya
    Bbc
    BBC Countryfile
    Beach Life
    Beijing
    Beijing-2008-olympics
    Beijing Jianbing (北京煎饼)
    Beijing Pollution
    Beijing-wall
    Beiyuan Restaurant
    Belfast
    Belgium
    Belle-Vue Restaurant
    Biggin Hill
    Birmingham
    Blue Rain Restaurant Ritzcarlton Difc Dubai8a09ec5785
    Boeing
    Boeing 737 MAX
    Boeing 747 400
    Boeing 747-400
    Boeing 777200
    Boeing 777 200
    Boeing 777 300
    Boeing 777-300
    Boeing 777X
    Boeing 787 8i
    Boeing 7878i451ed64e71
    Bologna
    Bologna Airport
    Bonnington-cafe
    Boracay
    Borough Market
    Bournemouth
    Breakfast
    Brexit
    Britain
    British Airspace
    British Airways
    Brixton
    Brockwell Park
    Brunswick-house
    Brussels
    Buckingham Palace
    Bund
    Business Travellers Handbook To China
    Cairo
    Cake Shop
    Camel
    Canada
    Canary Wharf
    Cannes
    Cannes Lions 2016
    Canon 5D Mark III
    Canterbury
    Cantonese Food
    Cape Town
    Cathay Pacific Airways
    Cctv
    Cebu Pacific Airlines
    Central
    Central London
    Chaiwan
    Champs Elysees8c6d4d0aea
    Chef Justin Quek
    Chengdu
    Chernobyl
    Chikan
    China
    China Aviation Museum
    China Daily
    China Lodge
    China Plus
    China Southern Airlines
    Chinatown
    Chinatown Singapore
    Chinese
    Chinese Airspace
    Chinese Chess
    Chinese Food
    Chinese New Year
    Chinese TV
    Chinese Wedding
    Chinghe Huang7d3dd24339
    Chinglish
    Chongqing
    Chris Hadfield
    Christmas
    Citm
    City Of Dreams
    City Of London
    Cloud 9 Restaurant
    Club Europe
    Coconut Juice
    Concorde
    Construction
    Cosmetic Surgery
    Cote Brasserie
    Covent Garden
    COVID 19 Pandemic
    COVID-19 Pandemic
    Croatia
    Croydon
    Ctw
    Cuandixia Villege
    Cultures
    Cumulonimbus
    Cycling
    Deng Xiao Ping
    Desert
    Detroit
    Dimsum
    Disneyland Hong Kong
    Diving
    DJI
    Doha
    Donald Trump
    Downstairs With David Laris
    Dragon Boat Festival
    Dr John Marr38a1f5b428
    Drones
    Dubai
    Dubai Aquarium
    Dulwich
    Dulwich College
    Dunsfold Aerodrome
    Durban
    Durdle Door
    Easter
    Ebike62b9048548
    Economy
    Edinburgh
    Education
    Eff
    Egypt
    Egyptair
    Eiffel Tower
    Elba At The St Regis Shenzhen
    Emirates
    England
    English Words
    E-taxi China
    Etihad Airways
    Euro 2016
    Europe
    Expat
    Expo 2010
    Expo 2010
    Face Whitening Cream
    Falcon
    Family
    Farnborough Airshow
    Fauja Singh
    Felix Baumgartner
    Felix Restaurant
    Ferrari World
    Fifa
    Financial Research Industry
    First Class
    Flair Restaurant
    Florence
    Flying
    Food Critic
    Football
    Formula 1
    Fortune Tellers
    France
    Frankfurt
    French
    French Food
    Fujian Province
    Fuli Village
    Funchal
    Gabriella Guglielminotti Trivel
    Gallery Suites Shanghai
    Garden Hotel Guangzhou
    GDTV
    Geneva
    Geneva Auto Show
    German Art
    Germany
    Gideon's Children
    Global News Toronto
    Glo Restaurant + Bar
    Google
    Grand Hotel Des Arts
    Grand Hyatt
    Grand Hyatt Erawan
    Grand Hyatt Guangzhou
    Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
    Grand Hyatt Macau
    Grand Hyatt Seoul
    Grand Hyatt Shenzhen
    Grand Hyatt Singapore
    Grand Kempinski Shanghai
    Gran Melia Shanghai
    Great Wall Of China
    Greg Balazic
    G Restaurant
    Grissini
    Guangdong
    Guangfu
    Guangzhou
    Guangzhou Airport
    Guantanamo Bay
    Gui Hua Lou
    Guilin
    Guiyang
    Haagen-Dazs
    Hairy Crab
    Haiti
    Hangzhou
    Happy New Year 2012
    Harry Redknapp
    Hays Galleria
    Heathrow
    Helen Amelia Thomas
    Helicopter
    Herbal Tea
    Herne Hill
    History
    Ho Chi Minh City
    Holidays
    Holland
    Hong Kong
    Hong Kong Airport
    Hong Mei
    Hotel Bonaparte
    Hotel Clover Of The Arts
    Hotel Corona D'Oro 1890 Bologna
    Hotel De Edge
    Hotel Lkf
    Hotel Panorama By Rhombus
    Hotel Pennington
    Hotel Yak & Yeti Kathmandu
    Hot Weather
    House Of Dancing Water
    House Prices China
    Howard G Franklin
    Hrh Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge
    Huang Ting
    Hunan Province
    Hyatt On The Bund
    Hyatt Regency Kathmandu
    Hyde Park
    Iberia Airlines
    IL-76
    India
    Intercontinental Shenzhen
    International Photography Awards
    Iran
    Islam
    Istanbul
    It
    Italian Food
    Italy
    IT&CMA
    IT&CMA
    James Nixon
    Japanese Food
    Jennifer Palisoc
    Jia Hong Kong
    Jiangmen
    Jia Shanghai
    Jinan
    Jing An Temple
    Jinkeng Dazhai Longji Rice Terraces
    Jin Xuan
    Jiuzhaigou
    Johannesburg
    Journalist
    Jumeirah Himalaya Hotel In Shanghai
    Jw Marriott Beijing
    Kaçkar Mountains
    Kaiane Aldorino
    Kaiping
    Kai Tak
    Katharina Fritsch
    Kathmandu
    Kempinski Beijing
    Kempinski Shenzhen
    Kerry Hotel Beijing
    Kerry Hotel Shanghai
    Kong Dongmei
    Korean Cafes
    Korean Ginseng
    Kowloon City
    Kuala Lumpur
    Kunming
    La Defense
    Lai Heen
    Lake Garda
    Lakshadweep Islands
    Lamborghini
    Langkawi
    Lan Kwai Fong
    Lausanne
    Les 110 De Taillevent
    Le Sheng Restaurant
    Li River Cruise
    Liverpool
    Lizhiwan
    Loch Fyne
    London
    London 2012 Olympics
    London Bus
    London City Airport
    London Evening Standard
    London Marathon 2014
    London New Year Fireworks
    London Tube Strike
    Lonnie Hodge
    Loughborough
    Lufthansa
    Lunar Eclipse December 2011
    Luxembourg
    Luzhi
    Macau
    Madeira
    Madrid
    Maglev
    Malayia
    Malaysia
    Malaysia Airlines
    Malaysia Airlines MH370
    Malta
    Manila
    Mansion House Boutique Hotel
    Mao Zedong
    Marathon
    Margaret Thatcher
    Marina Bay Sands
    Mayor Of London
    Media
    Mews Of Mayfair
    Mezza9 Restaurant
    Mg
    Mice
    Michael Palin Cbe
    Michael Wood
    Mid Autumn Festival
    Mid-Autumn Festival
    Millennium Bridge
    Miss India
    Miss World
    Miss World 2003
    Mo Farah
    Money
    Mongolia
    Moon
    Moon Cakes
    Moon Hill
    Mount Blanc
    Mount Everest
    Mt. Etna
    Mudu
    Muscat
    Mutianyu
    Nanjing
    Nanshan
    Nanxiang
    Nasa
    Navjot Singh
    Navjot Singh Sidhu
    Nazi
    Nehru Centre
    Nelson Mandela
    Nepal
    Nepal Earthquake
    Newcastle
    New Delhi
    New Year 2016
    Niagara Falls
    Night Time
    Nihao
    Nizhny Novgorod
    Noise
    Northern Ireland
    Notre Dame
    Odd Signage China
    Olympics
    Oman
    Oman Air
    Opium Bar Madrid
    Pakistan
    Pakistan Air Force
    Paletto Restaurant
    Palladio
    Palm Jumeirah
    Panamie Cafe
    Panda Reserve
    Panyu
    Paracel Islands
    Paris
    Parisian Architecture
    Parisian Cafes
    Park Hyatt Beijing
    Park Hyatt Shanghai
    Peak
    Pearl River Delta
    Peninsula Bangkok
    Peninsula Beijing
    Peninsula Hong Kong
    Peninsula Hotel
    Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong
    Peninsula Shanghai
    Penthouse Restaurant
    Phantom Of The Opera
    Philippines
    Pilot Training
    Ping An Finance Centre
    Pink Moon
    Pocari Sweat
    Police
    Pollution
    Ponting Mountains
    Portugal
    Posh
    President Hu Jintao
    President Obama
    Pretoria
    Property In China
    Pudong Airport
    Qantas Airways
    Qatar
    Qatar Airways
    Qianmen
    Qibao
    Qingdao
    Qing Ming Festival
    Quality Control
    Queen Elizabeth
    Queen Elizabeth Ii Diamond Jubilee
    Quincy Hotel Singapore
    Racism
    Raffles Hotel Singapore
    Reflexions Restaurant
    Reuters
    Ribe Paris
    Rickshaw
    Ristorante Boccanegra
    Ristorante Da Giggetto
    Ritz Carlton Beijing (Financial Street)
    Ritz-Carlton Beijing (Financial Street)
    Ritz Carlton Guangzhou
    Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou
    Ritz Carlton Sanya
    Ritz-Carlton Sanya
    Ritz Carlton Shanghai Pudong
    Ritz Carlton Shenzhen
    Ritz-Carlton Shenzhen
    River Thames
    Rome
    Rotterdam
    Rover
    Royal Geographical Society
    Royal Selangor Club
    Rugby World Cup 2011
    Russia
    Saatchi
    Sadhu
    Sadiq Khan
    Sand
    San Francisco
    Sanya
    Scammers In China
    Scotland
    Seawings
    Seoul
    Shamian Island
    Shandong Province
    Shangchuan
    Shangdi
    Shanghai
    Shanghai Expo
    Shanghai Grand Hyatt
    Shangri La Beijing
    Shangri La Boracay
    Shangri La Pudong Shanghai
    Shangri-La Pudong Shanghai
    Shangri-La Shenzhen
    Shangri La Singapore
    Shangri-La Singapore
    Shard
    Sharjah
    Shenzhen
    Sheraton Guilin
    Sheraton Shenzhen (Futian)
    Sherpa Tenzing Norgay
    Shiraz
    Sichuan
    Sichuan Art Troupe
    Sicily
    Singapore
    Singapore Airlines
    Singapore Changi Airport
    Singapore Sling
    Sir Edmund Hillary
    Sirmione
    Skylife
    Sky On 57 Restaurant
    Slabs
    Snake Oil
    South Africa
    South China Sea
    South Korea
    Space
    Space Shuttle
    Spain
    Sri Lanka
    Sri Lankan Airlines
    Stacey Solomon
    Starbucks
    Steve Jobs
    Sticks'n'Sushi
    Stinky Tofu
    St. Paul's Cathedral
    St Regis Florence
    St Regis Shenzhen
    Super Blood Wolf Moon 2019
    Surinamese Broodjes
    Sushi
    Suzhou
    Swiss Alps
    Switzerland
    Tabriz Area
    Taishan
    Taiwan
    Taizhou
    Talha Ahsan
    TATE Modern
    Teemall Guangzhou
    Terracotta Warriors Of Xi'an
    Terrorism
    Tesco
    Thai
    Thailand
    The Andaman
    The Bronx
    The Challenger Sale
    The City Of Dreams
    The Garden Hotel Guangzhou
    The Marriott Resort And Spa
    The Marriott Resort And Spa Bangkok
    The Peninsula Bangkok (Thailand)
    The Pheasant Restauarnt- Heathrow
    The Portman Ritz Carlton Shanghai
    The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai
    Theresa May
    The Ritz Carlton
    The Ritz Carlton Beijing
    The Ritz-Carlton Beijing
    The Ritz Carlton DIFC (DUBAI)
    The Ritz-Carlton DIFC (DUBAI)
    The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong
    The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
    The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul
    The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur
    The Ritz Carlton Seoul
    The Ritz-Carlton Seoul
    The Secret Garden Of Eden
    The Sky Bridge Langkawi
    The World Travel Market
    Tianhe
    Tianjin
    Tianzifang
    Tibeten
    Tienanmen
    Tinamen Mountain
    Tom Carter
    Tongli
    Toronto
    Tower Bridge
    Trafalgar Square
    Tram
    Trattoria Al Bersagliere
    Trattoria Leonida Bologna
    Travel
    Trieste
    Tsim Sha Tsui
    Ttg Asia Media
    Turkey
    Turkish Airlines
    Typhoon Usagi
    Uae
    UK Daily Mail
    Uk Hacking Scandal
    UK Telegraph
    United Kingdom
    URBN Shanghai
    Usa
    US Military Base
    Valentines001476bdc2
    Verona
    Vietnam
    Waldorf Astoria Shanghai On The Bund
    Wanchai
    Wangfujing
    Warren Richardson
    Wei Jing Ge
    Wembley
    Wembley Stadium
    Wesley Klein
    Westin Excelsior Florence
    Westin Guangzhou
    Westin Xi'an
    Westminster
    Westminster Cathedral
    West Street
    Weymouth
    White House
    White Swan Hotel
    Windsor Castle
    Wolseley Restuarant
    World Cup 2010
    World Press Photo Contest 2015
    Wuhan
    Wuxi
    Xiachuan
    Xiamen
    Xian
    Xi'an North City Hotel
    Xiaoshan Island
    Xiaozhou
    Xi JinPing
    Xindalu Restaurant
    Xingli Restaurant
    Xingping
    Yangshuo
    Yangshuo Riverside Retreat
    Yangzhou
    YouTube Ads Leaderboard
    Yu Restaurant
    Zhangjiajie
    Zhouzhuang
    Zhujiang New Town
    Zoe Bradley
    Zongzi
    Zum Gemalten Haus
    Zurich
    毽子 - The Feather Puck

 Send me an email: navjot@navjot-singh.com

OR CONNECT WITH ME USING:

Design by Navjot Singh. All Rights Reserved 2002-2023

  • Home
  • Who am I?
  • 中文
  • Travel & Books
  • Photographs
  • Navjot's Blog
  • Airline PR
  • Portfolio
  • Terms & Conditions