Recently Mingmei Yip contacted me and asked if i was willing to do a book review for her most recent novel Secret of a Thousand Beauties. I can never refuse a book, especially one about China, so I was happy to review it. This is the plot is a bit
First Christmas in Xiamen
Last year I had a great Christmas with my friends. We made cookies, lit candles, watched Christmas specials and just had a really awesome day. (You can read about it here.) This year though, I’m just not feeling it. First off, it’s because of the weather. Sunny, clear, and a
For Your Entertainment
There have been a flux of interesting asian/china themes videos recently and I thought I should gather them in one place. (Fire up your VPN’s China friends, these are all embedded from youtube.) Tai chi basketball This badass was featured on CCTV (China national news). Basketball is huge here, and
I Feel a Bit Guilty About Yesterday’s Post
So after I totally dissed my students in yesterday’s post, I had my last class with one group of kids. We had a christmas party (I do it every year) and when class was almost over one student stood up and said they had a special gift for me. He
Sad Realizations at Final Exams
The semester is almost over and it’s final exams week. I really wracked my brain this semester, because teaching non-majors is much more of a challenge. I needed the same final exam that would be appropriate for students with a vastly different level, as well as something that wouldn’t bore
Funny English Names of my Chinese Students
One of my very first posts in China was about students picking hilarious English names. It just cracked me up that a boy would call themselves “Cookies” or a girl “Super.” But like all things, you get immune to it. I’ve had plenty of none traditional names over the years,
Trying for a Work/Life Balance While Living on Campus
Almost exactly five years ago I went to my first dinner with students. I was so excited, and honored back then that the students wanted to spend time with me. That even though they didn’t know me very well, and their English level was a little low, they were willing
Fighting the Pressures of “Busyness” in China
I recently read this interesting blog post from one of my favorite blogs, Brain Pickings. It’s all about Alan Watts and the art of timing. How we are all so consumed with busyness we often overlook the pleasures of the moment for anticipation of the future and when that future
Frisbee Will Kill Us ALLLLLLL!!!!
So playing Ultimate Frisbee is a big thing around here. We play it every Wednesday night and most of the day on Sunday. I don’t go that often, but when I do it’s really fun. If you’d never played, Ultimate Frisbee is a lot like (american) football, or basketball or hockey.
Hash House Harriers — A Drinking Club with a Running Problem
So last weekend I participated in my first “Hash” run. That is, the Hash House Harriers, an international group that organizes runs all over the world. The origins of the group is as British as the name. It started in 1938 when a bunch of British expats in Malaysia decided