Category: culture

News out of China

I currently have six papers “in progress.” I’ll be starting a seventh paper tomorrow.  Without finishing any of the others.  Some are for a prof I have yet to meet.  Some are for a prof that looks for highly analytical… Read More

Urban China

Time is flying by.  Being in the States is…wonderful, comfortable, awkward, encouraging, challenging, trying, amazing, and about a million more adjectives all rolled up into one.  In some ways, I feel like I can hop right back into… Read More

Freshmen Sports Day

Yesterday afternoon, the Freshmen teachers on our team hosted a Sports Day for all of their students.  As unofficial team photographer, I pulled myself away from packing for a bit to get a few shots of the students… Read More

Dragon Boat Festival

Today is Dragon Boat Festival, Duanwu Jie, which is actually the very first holiday I celebrated in China.  Six years ago, I came to China for the first time on a summer trip.  A day or so after… Read More

Sunday snapshot: Gifts

Today’s Sunday snapshot is more along the lines of amusing than moving.  There will be no streaky mascara caused by this post.  I thought this post might bring a smile or even a bit of laughter–and I thought that… Read More

The sacred weekend

It’s Saturday, it’s raining, and in just a little bit I’ll be heading to class.  The fact that it’s raining has absolutely nothing else to do with this post other than the fact that at the moment my… Read More

My alter ego: Ivanka

I am daily mistaken as a Russian.  I could perhaps, without too much exaggeration, even change that to hourly mistaken.  When I first came to China, I had no idea this false labeling was happening because I had… Read More

Swinging on sinks

Last night, I was hanging out with a good friend eating dinner and watching a movie when the building night-watchman/fix-it man/light bulb replacer/man of many hats stopped by my apartment.  I hadn’t reported any problems with my place,… Read More

Sunday snapshot: Special visitors

This past Wednesday, we had a special group of visitors roll into town for the afternoon.  Our company has a language school in a nearby big city, and there just so happens to be a lot of families… Read More

Heliophobia

Heliophobia = fear of the sun In China, white is beautiful.  Store shelves are stocked to the brim with whitening creams.  You’ll see more umbrellas on a sunny day than on a rainy day.  Women bike through town in… Read More