Missing pieces
Sunday, May 16th, 2010 Posted in America, Chinese Culture, Homesickness, Living in China, Travel | 1 Comment »After having been away from the blog for a long time, I just read the post I wrote a week after having returned home. I can't believe I said, "I don't really miss China." I do miss China. ...
Home again
Thursday, March 4th, 2010 Posted in Chinese Culture, Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Travel | 1 Comment »I arrived safely in Chicago yesterday and had some good deep-dish Chicago-style pizza with my dad, stepmom and brothers. Pretty awesome way to arrive in America, I'd say. I'm still processing about everything. It was weird to get dimes ...
The deep breath…
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Travel | Comments Off...before the plunge. Waiting in Beijing - surfing the internet. Can't go see Mao's preserved body tomorrow (as was the plan) because they've closed it for maintenance from 3/1 to 3/20. Blast. Uploaded all the photos from Chengdu. Photos ...
The decision I have made
Monday, February 1st, 2010 Posted in Chinese Culture, Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Travel | 1 Comment »The decision I have made has been well-deliberated. The decision I have made has been debated and argued and thought about and meditated on and processed in all ways possible. The decision I have made is to come ...
Pushing my luck
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Travel | 1 Comment »I don't know how this keeps happening. But I won't question it. The school has scheduled Grade 1 exams for next week Monday and Tuesday. This would mean, given Christmas, that the only day I have to ...
Christmas spirit
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Travel | 1 Comment »Look what I found at the local bakery last week. I could not resist taking my picture with these girls. I was so happy to see Christmas decorations that I actually giggled out loud while I was looking for my ...
Today’s ten thousand things
Monday, December 7th, 2009 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Today's Ten Thousand Things | 2 Comments »- Before class, one of my students asked me what my Chinese name was. I said it, but told her I didn't know the characters. She tried to write it down, but we couldn't find the character for ...
No Thanksgiving in small-town China
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Travel | 1 Comment »I had no formal Thanksgiving this year. Dinner in the cafeteria included potatoes, though, which sort of counts. And I told one of the Chinese teachers, who knew about Thanksgiving, that I was thankful for the opportunity to ...
Guest author: Liu Fei
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 Posted in Chinese Culture, Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China | 1 Comment »My friend and fellow teacher Laura wrote an email to her friends and family with the following commentary in it, and I asked her if I could repost it to my blog. I think it's an extremely well-thought-out account ...
It makes me ill
Monday, October 26th, 2009 Posted in Homesickness, Living in China, Teaching in China, Travel | 3 Comments »I've been a bit under the weather lately. I think it's a flu/bronchitis deal, but nothing too serious. If I get fevery or achy, I take two acetaminophen and feel much better. I wish I didn't have the congestion, but that's just ...