Oh dear, I missed another day. But it’s OK because I have a note from my mum. Yesterday I was at the Beijing motor show, which was as busy as these things get (17 halls to power walk round, with minimal information about what’s what).

Obviously we had to get there very early, because time is money or something. It’s actually my favourite part of the day watching the handymen (handypersons?) rush to finish the last few bits and pieces, gluing the carpets down and desperately applying last minute bits of health and safety information.

I was up at 6am (11pm UK time, my body remains very confused by the turn of events) for a quick breakfast and dash out the door once I’ve filled my bag with fully charged equipment and as much water as it’ll fit inside. I didn’t sleep well that night because I left my curtains open to help me get up with the sun and evidently those bad boys had been doing a lovely job of filtering out the worst of the honking on the busy road outside the hotel. The angry horn pressing seemed to quieten down around 4am, but even then I only managed a fitful sleep.

Sprinting between stands at a motor show is a great way to wake up though – I love a good old fashioned set of halls with obscenely expensive displays of automotive prowess arranged within. The carmaker I was visiting the show with had a two-storey set of rooms at the back of its stand, with a cafe area upstairs and a lovely little sun terrace nestled in below the spotlight rigging. A delightful spot to sit with a drink of water while you furiously type away about whatever it was you were just looking at.

I managed just under 19,000 steps, which is the sign of a day well used in my book – significantly less than the 28,000 steps I did the first year I went to the Frankfurt motor show, mind. I just hadn’t realised that the halls were all so far apart, and I’d arrange interviews all over the place and spent most of the day sprinting up and down travelators like I was the contestant who falls over in the Gladiators finale and just tries to finish because their family is watching.