The main way that I get to know a new place is to walk in a spiral. By walking in a spiral pattern, I keep track of where I am staying. I call this spiral exploration. You don’t get lost easily. Also, you can get back to home base more quickly than if you walk in a straight line. This is nice when you get tired or run out of time.
As I explore I photograph the names of streets.
This is exceptionally useful for giving a taxi directions, because you can show the driver the photos of the street signs. An example where this was helpful: in the area near my son’s last school there was wei xian lu (pronounced way-shian-lu) and huixian lu (pronounced h-way-shian-lu). Even pronouncing them perfectly there was a good chance I wouldn’t be understood, especially with traffic noise!
You can get a handle on what an area has to offer with two spiral walks: one starting out to the left and the other to the right. Spiral exploration lets you learn where you can buy basics like water and fruits, and what restaurants are available.