Chris Peterson is managing editor for China Daily Europe. He is a veteran journalist who had served Reuters and Bloomberg News for the past four decades. He had extensive reporting experience in Vietnam, Singapore, Paris, London and Hong Kong.
Like many Britons, I was appalled by both the result of the EU referendum as well as the minor outbreaks of xenophobia and, sad to say, racism that have been reported in some areas.
In the end, it was a close-run thing. British voters went to the polls on Thursday in a referendum on whether or not to stay in the 28-member European Union, and by saying "No" blew the whole question of the EU's future wide open.
There are two sayings in English that are profoundly relevant to what I'm going to write about this week, with your indulgence.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel; it's a name that rolls off the tongue. He also happens to be one of my personal heroes, along with Admiral Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington.
I'm under siege. Not from the descendants of Vikings (my ancestors, but that's another story), or the Normans, or any other race that has over the centuries threatened this sceptred isle, as William Shakespeare once called it.
I've been a Manchester United fan ever since I was a kid, enthralled by stars such as Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, George Best, and countless others.
Sometimes you need a reality check to bring you back down to Earth.
I think I must be cursed with the ability to experience the bizarre and weird things that life has to offer - let's face it, as a journalist you're always looking for something that lifts a story above the mundane.
By the time you read this, the column will have packed its bags and taken up a week's residence in Ho Chi Minh City, the last stage on my eventual return to London, where authoritative sources tell me it has been snowing, for heaven's sake.
Not quite sure what my preconceptions were, but one impression has been shattered - favorably, I might add.
Housing, traffic, the weather, education, pollution - China's burgeoning middle class is as concerned by these topics as their counterparts in any capital city you care to name.
Well, here I am. You can read all the books, newspaper articles or travel advice in the world, but nothing really prepares you for the sheer size of Beijing.
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 
