Category: around my neighborhood

Sunday snapshot: Home sweet {disgusting} home

I returned in the wee hours of the morning yesterday to my {mostly} vacant apartment.  My apartment presented as blank a slate as the coming year. With just the bare bones furniture the school provides. What makes the place… Read More

China makes me smile

Five years in and there are still random sights that make me smile and giggle.  And make me so happy I made the decision to move across the ocean. Random laundry.  Drying in random locations.  This particular set of… Read More

Glorious

The strong winds, rain, and chilly temperatures of the past few days only made the bright skies of today that much more glorious.  The temperature was that perfect spring balance of not too cold but not too hot. … Read More

Just a few more things

First of all, I wanted to pass along an article that perfectly explains why the foreign teachers get so frustrated in our writing classes and in our positions as senior thesis paper advisors.  There are many things I love… Read More

What are the chances

You may have already figured out that I have a great amount of affection for the Pioneer Woman.  Her recipes are extraordinarily delicious, and are made from ingredients I can actually find in China.  Her wit and stories… Read More

“Springing” Forward

By Sunday morning, almost all of the snow, slush, ice, and coal-dust-coated frozen substances had melted away.  We were seeing pavement for the first time in months.  While we weren’t changing time with the rest of the world (China… Read More

Pruning

Thursday morning I headed out of my door with a skip in my step.  I was finally headed back to the classroom and I was certain there was nothing that could get me down.  Then I walked out… Read More

Sparkler Therapy

China is changing rapidly.  (And yes, I’m aware that that is a “well, duh” statement.)  It is remarkable to think about how much people’s lives have changed just in the past ten years.  The greatest migration in the… Read More

This is home

Candle.  Coffee.  Stack of books.  Reading chair.  Soft, thick blanket.  To me, that’s home.  Since returning a week ago I’ve spent a large majority of my time right here.  And an embarrassingly large majority of that time in pajamas. … Read More

Ready to GO

I have yet to crack open a suitcase, laundry is far from complete, and my to do list remains a mile long, but I am ready to get out of dodge.  Why the sudden change of heart when… Read More