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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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Tucked away up in China’s frigid northeast is a small ski resort area called Yabuli. The name Yabuli comes from the Russian for “apple fields.” The Manchu nobles used the area as a hunting ground during the Qing dynasty. The DH and I spent two days at Yabuli over the Chinese New Year this past February. [...]
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WanderFood Wednesday #1 Today, instead of my usual Wordless Wednesday posting, (which usually ends up being quite wordy), I’m joining in on WanderFood Wednesday. Find out more about WanderFood Wednesdays here. For my first WanderFood post, I’d like to talk write about one of my favorite cold-weather snacks available here in China: Chatang. I refer [...]
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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. ;)
