Turning the page to a new year
[2011-01-04 10:36]With 2010 behind us, it's time to look ahead to what 2011 might hold, and think about the things we'd like to achieve.
My wanderings in the Chinese wonderland
[2011-01-04 10:36]The beeping Guangdong bus driver is driving me beeping crazy, and I demand to get off his beeping coach.
2010 a year that will be hard to beat
[2010-12-30 12:57]2010 has been a remarkable year for me here in China, one that I think I'll have great difficulty topping in coming years.
Rod piercing or blood rituals, it's all about people
[2010-12-30 12:57]Three young men holding incense sticks danced frantically before a religious shrine, which housed small, bearded, king-like figurines.
Christmas finally found me in China
[2010-12-30 12:57]Some expats celebrate the holidays of their homeland.
Avoiding an evil Xmas on Taobao Street
[2010-12-15 13:21]The way we use words, their pronunciation and tone, all play a very important part in how well we understand each other. Even the slightest slip can lead to unexpectedly funny results.
Tall tales on a mountain
[2010-12-15 09:57]It's amazing what 500 yuan ($75) can buy when you're a foreigner dealing with a borderline-crazy Chinese driver.
2.6 billion eyeballs, lessons from the street
[2010-12-09 10:23]We Americans are famously overfed. Only in China did I realize that my eyeballs are fat and lazy too.
Teaching a life skill can be life-threatening
[2010-12-08 09:45]When I discovered that the university I work at has a swimming pool, I was quite pleased. Swimming is a great way to exercise, because the water reduces the strain on the joints.
Feeling the pulse of Shanghai to yi-er, yi-er
[2010-12-07 09:29]Moral support and encouragement comes in all forms. In early September, it was the Chinese traffic warden who watched me cross the road, calling out "yi (one) - er (two) - yi - er" in time with my running steps, mimicking me jogging on the spot.
Feeling down as 'all prices are going up'
[2010-12-02 09:21]There's a simple reason for the general upward trend of prices in Beijing and, surprisingly, it has nothing to do with all that economic jargon floating around about productivity gains, wage costs and so on.
No low-fat products a big issue
[2010-11-30 14:01]Where has the low-fat milk gone? The brand I usually buy has disappeared from the supermarket shelves, which is not good news for my diet.
