Another Subtle Reminder about April 9

A few people have asked what to send me for my birthday this year, so I thought I’d post another little list for everyone. It’s April 9, so that gives you a few days to get a letter or package or email together… I’d love to hear from all of you! 1. Easy Mac (This […]

Chinese Caption Contest #461

I think the four marketing points say, “I’m American. I’m white. I’m cool… I’m Todd.” Who would want to study from a guy named Todd, anyways!? (Hopefully I don’t have any readers named Todd.)

Chinese Food 101: Adventures in Cooking Rice

“Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook.” – Chinese Proverb I’m no housewife, but oh how I wished I had practiced cooking rice before moving to China! The first few weeks here were brutal without this simple knowledge. My roommate and I and purchased a rice cooker, but I had no idea how to […]

Little ol’ me, featured in a Tianjin monthly…

You know you stand out from the crowd if you get interviewed for a big magazine in town when you haven’t even been here 3 months. Well, that’s what happened to me. I met one of my good Chinese friends, Jonathan, on the subway. Apparently, he knew I was a foreigner right away. (How could […]

Chinese Caption Contest #457

This one even has some English and I have no clue what it could mean… Two questions: Where can I get one!? Where can I get another one?

I finally ate at KFC

If God grants me longer life, I will see to it that no peasant in my kingdom will lack the means to have a chicken in the pot every Sunday. -Henri IV There it stood. That multi-level “western” food flashiness: K. F. C. I knew I shouldn’t, but its power was too great. I was […]

A Subtle Reminder – My Birthday is April 9

That gives you a week or two to get a little somethin’ somethin’ in the mail. I posted back in October my mailing address, and many of you have sent some amazing things! For that, I am very thankful. Receiving postcards, cards, letters, and packages is the highlight of my week – keep ‘em coming! […]

My First Chinese New Year

The fireworks have stopped. All but one of my favorite noodle shops has reopened. The old man barber down the street has started to cut people’s hair again. I got a letter in the mail that was sent over two months ago. The new teaching semester at school has begun. Is the New Year celebration […]

Chinese Caption Contest #453

“Global warming: destroying penguins’ earth-shaped umbrellas for centuries…” What do YOU think it means?

Chinese Food 101: Basic Ingredients

“Never eat Chinese food in Oklahoma.” – Bryan Miller Agreed. I would add Wisconsin to that statement as well. To get the best, most authentic Chinese food, you need to know what you’re looking for. If you’re not from China and you’ve never been to China or Chinatown you might lack this ability, but not […]