Category Archives: New York City
L’chaim
After listening to Jason Zorro make Mandarin tones properly and effortlessly, David decided to take him down a peg and teach him to say “L’chaim”. After a few tries, it was still almost as bad as my Chinese. Ok, nothing’s … Continue reading
You People
The other day I was crossing the street and I said “You people invented gunpowder and silk! Surely mastering a turn signal is nothing to that!” Usually shouting witticisms at my non-English speaking surroundings makes me feel better, but today … Continue reading
Jia Gei Wo Ba?
Ryan in Dalian, also known as The Humanaught, is engaged! Congratulations, Ryan and Maggie!
Six Years Later…
I’ve been corresponding with my old roommate, Ruth. She’s working in Washington, DC now, and she dropped words like “senator” and “security clearance” into her letters. She said something along the lines of “six years ago, if someone told us … Continue reading
Meg Vs. Mandarin
Stick’s mom is famous for forcing me to watch Nascar and driving my hyperactive self to the MTELs. The other day, she e-mailed me to tell me she’d learned some Mandarin words, and she gave the examples wo xiang-nian ni … Continue reading
Summer in China
Today I was walking through the park in Kaifaqu in a haze of sunshine, sea air and June roses. I saw a little girl, around 5 or 6, in a white princess dress walking through the summer flowers with her … Continue reading
A Classical Education At Work
After a lesson on present progressive and some Slytherin vs. Griffindor verb charades, I dismissed my teenagers and came back to the teachers’ office. “Meg, did they have wheelbarrows in ancient Rome?” Jason asked. “I suppose so, they had to … Continue reading
Wrong Girl
Will, my boss, was playing videopoker in the office. He asked me if I played, and I had to admit that my Foxwoods success was more luck than skill. “It doesn’t matter though, because as soon as I start working … Continue reading
Stronger?
Right now, I’m changing my job, my apartment and um, everything! Everyone I’ve spoken with who’s made China their home says that China pushes your limits. In China what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Or it makes you throw … Continue reading
