Up, close and personal with Cheerful China
[2010-10-28 10:02]"Why did you cut my punch line, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold'?" asked Australian Patrick Whiteley, a former editor.
Congratulations on your divorce, my forest is in the lobby
[2010-10-27 09:15]"Congratulations," I told the newlyweds, "on your divorce!"
I am no general, just a foot soldier
[2010-10-26 09:14]A few people have written to me lately and said: "You must be a great chef!"
Cashing in on group discounts has hidden costs
[2010-10-21 14:36]"Could we have another set of plates?" I asked. One of the two waiters who had been lingering near the counter chatting about vacation plans finally brought us the plate, without saying a word or offering even the hint of a smile.
Keeping it in the family, Chinese style
[2010-10-20 09:22]My two sets of "parents" were about to meet for the first time.
Time to put learning to the test
[2010-10-19 09:27]At the start of this semester, I was asked by the university I work at to give the students a pre-test, a sort of mock exam to establish their English level.
Loser pays, the winner takes it all
[2010-10-14 09:12]Pool is a great game. It has skill, tactics and a cooler cachet than its elder brother, snooker.
Holidays should mean time off, not confusion
[2010-10-13 09:15]The dean cheerfully informed me last week, "Wednesday is a holiday, you'll have to work Saturday instead!"
Saving time and face is a lost art
[2010-10-08 09:34]Transportation was unexpectedly smooth and I arrived at the meeting half an hour before time.
Because the night belongs to people
[2010-09-29 10:18]With the pleasant autumn nights upon us, my wife Ellen and I have taken to walking around the neighborhood we live in of an evening.
Chosen we may be, but clever and rich too?
[2010-09-21 09:18]My mother is Jewish. Funnily enough this makes me, despite my lack of faith in anything Jewish, Jewish.
Give and take of living in a Chinese compound
[2010-09-16 09:19]I live in what is often termed a "Chinese compound" which, unlike the "international compounds" of Beijing supposedly made to international specifications, is a simpler residence constructed to local standards - or rather the local standards of the 1970s.
