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CATS in Tianjin

Be honest. What did you think this was going to be about when you read the headline “CATS in Tianjin”? Maybe the plethora of stray cats running around the city? Maybe what I had for dinner last night? Wrong on both accounts! One of the biggest Broadway musical hits of all time, CATS, is touring […]

My Chinese Cell Phone

I haven’t had a cell phone since the end of June (not counting the infamous one I used in Italy) and it’s been harder not to have one than I thought it would be, actually. The biggest downside was that my friends couldn’t get in touch with me whenever they wanted and I ended up […]

Ni Hao to you too, China

Looking down at China as my plane landed, I couldn’t help but smile. And not just because they were ironically showing “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on the flight, I was smiling because this was it – I’m landing thousands of miles away from home to live in a foreign country at last. Not some lame […]

We Plan, God Laughs (The Slow Boat To China)

It’s been a crazy few months, albeit with fun road trips, long cross-cultural adventures, and hard-to-say goodbyes… But with all of this, the reality of my fast-approaching transition has hit full-force – I’m really moving out of the country in less than a week. I think the last time I wrote, back in May, I […]

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These past two years, I’d like to think that I’ve perfected my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I made a batch almost every week and gave them out to various friends and family. The only negative feedback I got was from my mother, who commented, “Too many chocolate chips!” Please disregard – everyone else has loved […]

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of China…

It’s official. I only have two weeks of normal life left. I’m quitting my decently-paying, full-benefits-giving, 9-5 job to become a nomad. Not just any nomad, I guess… a nomad with a destination in mind. For most of my life, I’ve known that I’ll be living overseas. And now that time is upon me! These […]

Pak Zam Zam

If you’re in the mood for Pakistani food (and when are you not?), my friends and I found the perfect place. For this “birthday” dinner, we visited Pak Zam Zam on Central in NE Minneapolis. It’s completely worth it and highly recommended! The first thing we noticed, of course, was the décor – bright bright […]

Best Places to Buy Vinyl in Minneapolis / St. Paul

The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl. -Dave Barry There’s nothing like listening to a Keith Green record…. unless, of course, you’re listening to him on vinyl. Last year, I just so happened to acquire my parent’s old record player. And it couldn’t have been better timing! It was […]

Great Music Lives Here

Twenty aught eight was truly a great year for music, regardless of which genre you prefer… Better than ‘07, I think, and close to ‘06. It’s all relative to your music taste, I guess. Tons of wonderful albums came out this year, and many that came out last year become prominent this year. Even more […]