A little more than 2 years ago, I started this blog. And just about 2 years ago I wrote about my birthday. What did I do to celebrate the big 3-3 back in 2009? Well, let’s take a ride in the way back machine and see. But yes, today is
Follow the Money
When I first came to China, I didn’t have any real travel goals. After all, I thought we would be here only 6-months to a year, so I knew we couldn’t see everything. But as 6 months turned into one year and one year turned into two we found ourselves
Crouching Tiger, Dripping Becky
EXT. YUAN COMPOUND – DAY Security men and porters are loading wagons for a convoy. As they work, we see across the lake a lone horseman entering the village. One of the men recognizes him. WORKER Master Li is here! ANGLE ON: Li Mu Bai, thirties, powerful and handsome. In
Same Road, Different Day
There are a few epic trips in my mind in which the road was better than the destination. I don’t mean that in the symbolic getting there is half the fun way (cause let’s admit it, train, buses and planes are a pain in the ass) but literally. Seeing what
Playing Mahjong (and not by yourself on the computer)
Mahjong. You don’t get more Chinese than that. And yet, despite being here for almost 2 years I have only played once. Shocking! Enter Color, a student who told me he and his girlfriend found a mahjong shop near our school, and would we like to play? My first thought
5 Packing Essentials for Moving to China
At this time of year, contracts are being negotiated and signed, health tests are being done, and visa’s are being issued. Newbies are planning to come to China for the very first time and are probably thinking a lot about what to bring. Before I came to China I wrote
Strange Things Will Happen…
This past week, in oral class, we had a lesson called, “What’s on Becky’s iPod?” It’s an occasional class where I play a song, or two and we learn the lyrics and discuss some of the deeper meaning behind the song. This week, we talked about a song by The
A Japanese, Mongolian and American Walk into a Bar…
Last night I had dinner with five Japanese people and one Chinese girl. Today I had lunch with three Indonesians, two Mongolians, three Japanese, and one Chinese. Such is the life of a foreigner on my campus. I’m sure at a bigger university, or a bigger city in which
My New Best Friend
You’re probably thinking that Ryan and I are at Madame Tussauds or something, standing next to a wax figure of an ancient kung-fu master. But we’re actually at a tea culture institute and standing in the middle is my new best friend. I don’t know what his name was, but
Teacher Deaths Confirmed in Japan
The news just announced the second death of an American resulting from the recent earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan. His name was Monty Dickson and he was a 26-year-old English teacher. The only other confirmed American death is Taylor Anderson, 24, also an English teacher. It hits close to home, for