Stick left today, which was just as miserable as the last time he left China. Airport goodbyes don’t actually get any easier with practice. We had a really insane 36 hours getting him ready to go. Finally, as he was stuffing the last few things in his bag, the seam popped! I sewed it back […]

Stick’s new visa fell through at the last possible second. It was a dramatic disaster, but the short version is that apparently the school wasn’t quite as professional and aboveboard as we’d thought. His current visa expires tomorrow, so he is flying home tomorrow night.
I did my year in Yantai alone, and I really don’t […]

I’ve got a new post up on CNReviews about our recent trip to Tiananmen Square and the stunning lack of “art students” offering us a trip to their exhibit. Check it out!

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Tags: Beijing welcomes you, changes in Beijing, […]

We set out for Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant last night, our second trip in Hugo and Diana’s visit. (Hugo may not be so fond of living ducks, but he loves them on a plate!) When we went inside, we said hello to some other foreigners. They were a camera crew, setting up to film […]

Cup of Cha’s post called Goodbye Foreign Visitors describes my feelings on the new visa regulations, only more eloquently than I’d put it. This week involved saying goodbye to expat friends, Sven from Tennessee and Christina both left on Saturday.
Any foreigner living in China now will tell you that something weird is going on. Our […]

After asking Hugo and Diana to pose for about a dozen Beihai photo-ops, and trying to get a perfect ‘visit to China’ picture, I caught them being naturally adorable.

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Tags: Beihai park, China, Diana, Hugo

Last night, I went shopping with Diana on the little streets by Qianhai. There’s a gorgeous old street, lined with craft and clothing and tea stores, and one place selling nothing but decorative matchbox covers.  There’s also a stinky-tofu vendor down at one end of the street, so we didn’t investigate those shops.
In some places, […]

For everyone (both of you, ha!) waiting impatiently for the conclusion, I did manage to get paid on Tuesday. My school’s director really came through for me, and I got my salary at 4:30pm, which is 6 hours after I first went to the accounting office to pick up my money, but still on […]

This is just a spot for me to store some photos until I can get them up on www.SimpsonsParadox.com

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Tags: China

Dear Hugo and Diana,
Don’t forget that all traffic signs and road markings are purely decorative and should never be used as a guide when assessing traffic patterns.
Love,
Meg

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Tags: Beijing welcomes you, China, Chinese life, Diana, Hugo, letters