Life in China and Other Expat Tales
From the category archives:
I’m really a Beijing resident. I even got a little piece of paper from the local police station saying so. (Okay, it says I’m a temporary resident, but that’s all foreigners really can be here.) I’m here. I’ve got a great apartment. I’ve got an Internet connection. What more do I need?
How about a bathtub? [...]
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Wide open window without screen
You’ve seen this window before. Everyday this past winter I would find this window in this position and I would dutifully shut it. Everyday. Everyday when it was -5°C. (It just didn’t seem efficient to leave all the windows open.) Leaving windows wide open in winter for the perceived “ventilation benefit” [...]
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After four and a half years in China’s hinterland, surrounded by factories and cornfields, it is still shocking to come across what are for me apparent mismatches, like the surprising numbers of Porsche Cayenne SUVs and high-end BMWs rolling down the street next to pony carts. One forgets that those very factories in these small [...]
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Happy Cinco de Mayo! You know that holiday, right? Yes, the one celebrated by all the Texans, strangely, and barely noticed by the Mexicans.
I celebrated by dragging the DH to KFC to eat a Mexican wrap sandwich, the only thing on the KFC menu I will eat (other than their mashed potato side.) The Mexican [...]
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The DH tells me I posted my “BIG” news banner a little early. I guess I did. We’ve still got BIG news coming, but I can’t spill the beans publicly, yet. I’ll give you a hint, though. Whatever it is, it will require boxes. And I’m really happy about it. Can you sense that yet? [...]
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Photo Friday #29
Harbin, China. 14 February 2010 Daytime Temp: -12°C (Warm!)
China’s Dongbei, or northeast, has a long history of Russian “influence.” (Whether the locals wanted it or not.) This influence began with the construction of the China Eastern Railway, an extension of the famed Trans-Siberian Railway and can still be seen today in the city’s [...]
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What I’ve been reading this past week (er, weekend actually.)
China:
Five Myths About China’s Economy – Washington Post 11 April 2010 – HT to @NiuB
Stability Preservation in China – ChinaGeeks 10 April 2010 – HT to @GraniteStudio
The World:
Unrest in Thailand – The Big Picture from The Boston Globe 9 April 2010
If You Want to Understand Kyrgyzstan, [...]
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Linyi Chinese Medicine Hospital
Who: The DH
What: Three days of IV antibiotic drips
When: Third and final drip
Where: Linyi Chinese Medicine Hospital
Why: A pesky little respiratory infection
How Much: 180RMB for the antibiotics (2) and 250ml bag of 0.9%NS (1); 32RMB for the nursing treatment/ER visit = 212RMB or ~ $31
Chinese hospitals can be a little chaotic, a [...]
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I'm an American expat living on the fringe of Chinese society. This blog explores life in China, the occasional aviation topic, expat issues, random travel experiences and interesting things I see, read and hear. 
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Michael P: Glad to see you’re back… I know what it’s... Tyler: Glad your back. I know how temps everyday in the 40s have made...
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