It only hit me that I was in China, in Tiananman Square of all places, when I saw the red flag waving like a defiant bloodied hand. Lives had been lost in the name of freedom there where traders now sold mao dolls and cheap watches.
After a delayed flight I'd flown from Manchester, UK, to Beijing, China. As I don't sleep on planes I was keen to sleep when I got to my hotel. No such luck: within minutes of arrival my boss called me to a meeting. Mercifully brief, it was promptly followed by a whirlwind tour of the Forbidden City and the immediate surroundings.