March 9th – Update below! Before coming to China, I never thought about cheese being an issue. It’s just always been part of my life, bouts of lactose intolerance not withstanding. As a kid in Colorado I lived close to a dairy, where my mom would buy something called “squeaky” cheese. I don’t know what [...]
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The Bird’s Nest Stadium It’s only been two years, but I finally made it to see Beijing’s Olympic buildings. We weren’t the only ones there, either. The “bird’s nest,” (or the eagle’s nest, as the DH calls it), is a major tourist attraction among the many provincial Chinese visiting the capital city. I imagine it [...]
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This I know: 25 kilometers on my bicycle is enough to produce seriously sore legs and buttocks. I first acquired this knowledge last month after riding said bicycle 25 kilometers from downtown Beijing to a botanical garden on the western edge of the city. (It didn’t really look that far on the map, but it [...]
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Yesterday as I was walking down from the subway to my area Carrefour store, I noticed a Chinese man out walking with his dog. I’m a huge dog lover, but logistically it is not the right time for the DH and I to be pet owners. Instead, I admire the growing variety (and sizes) of [...]
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The weather here in Beijing has taken a dramatic turn towards Autumn, and I could not be happier. As the kind of person who breaks a sweat just thinking about leaving her AC controlled-abode and turns beet red at the slightest elevation of temperature, 17-24°C is a dream come true. For the first time since [...]
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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 [...]
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Woken from my slumber entirely too early this morning, (I pretty much slept all weekend and am now accustomed to noon wakeup), the DH and I braved the cool and rainy Linyi morning for a quick flight to Beijing. Now we’re holed up in our hostel room, watching CCTV9 and feeling quite urbane. Parked airplanes [...]
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七九八 The 798 Art District in Beijing Just a few decades ago, this industrial district on the northeast corner of Beijing was home to a high security factory producing “secret” components for the Chinese military. The bauhaus-style complex was designed and built by the East Germans in the 1950s-1960s, in cooperation with the Soviet Union. [...]
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Photo Friday #26 Peasant Lady Sculpture 798 Art District, Beijing, China Looking much like the hundreds of peasant ladies I have seen during my years in China, this peasant lady sits and watches the world passing by. Some might say she watches as the New China passes her by. Found in the 798 Art District [...]
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SIL, Moi, Sis & Mom at Ming Tombs, Beijing 2006 Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there, and especially these three!
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I'm an American expat living on the fringe of Chinese society. Thanks to a lifetime spent moving around, I often feel like an outsider. This blog explores life in Beijing, China, the occasional aviation topic, expat issues, random travel experiences and interesting things I see, read and hear. If you want to know more about my latest hobby, visit Sewing on the Fringe, where I blog about learning to sew in Beijing. And for daily documentation of Beijing's ever changing air quality, visit My Beijing Window. And, yes, I do wear my santa hat year-round. ;)
