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 [...]
{ 33 comments }
Oh, I am tired. This is what happens when you turn 35. (As I did a few days ago.) And you have a cold. Today I attended four! events at the Bookworm Festival. There were originally only two on my schedule, but what can I say, everything piqued my interest. But I am tired this [...]
{ 0 comments }
My head is spinning and it is not because it has been a month and a half since I updated this blog. It’s also not the head cold I am in the process of developing, although I suspect all the NyQuil I am about to take will definitely produce that effect. No, my head is [...]
{ 4 comments }
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 [...]
{ 4 comments }
The last few days have seen the worst pollution in years to hit Beijing. A friend thinks it is from all the coal-burning heaters and furnaces that got switched on the 15th. I have to admit there was a “coalish” scent to the air, if there is such a thing. The air quality monitors at [...]
{ 4 comments }
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 [...]
{ 5 comments }
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 [...]
{ 1 comment }
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 [...]
{ 3 comments }
Please excuse me, I’m feeling a little bit sorry for myself. I wrote a post yesterday about all the things I love about Beijing, but today I can’t seem to let myself post it. I’m moody. I’m wondering when exactly our lives will be totally back on track. The waiting period of the last three [...]
{ 10 comments }
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 [...]
{ 19 comments }
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. ;)
