Not quite the extreme of buying an apartment in Tokyo but if you want to rent a property in China be prepared to bring plenty of cash. For every culture – transactions that rely on a stack of redbacks and those where more abstract notions of value suffice.

Dumped a few bags in the new home, next stop is London for the Guardian’s Activate summit and to Italy to catch up with new colleagues in the Frog Milan Studio. See you on the other side.