There is much more of an expat community here in Beijing than there was in Yantai, but I find myself in a weird no-man’s-land between looking for the best meet-market bar with the cheapest beer, and looking for the best preschool. I suppose I’d reach this stage of life anywhere, but China brings this, like everything else, into sharper focus.
Twentysomething
Posted in Beijing, Yantai
Tagged BeijingRRR, China, Chinese life, expats, life in China, Yantai
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Photo Backlog
I’ve got a bunch of photos from Hugo and Diana’s visit to put up. There always seemed to be something better to do… I’m going to backdate some of them, so if you’re family and you want to see photos, I’m going to put them up under the dates when I should have posted them.
Here we have a rather unflattering picture of Stick, holding up a Silk Market treasure: his new RUN DMC Adidas. This was slightly before he started walking about singing about them.
We didn’t have the greatest time shopping because Hugo was a walking target for every shady deal in the book. I don’t know how, but folks can see his good nature from miles away. We surrounded him like grumpy lictors, fighting against his inherent kindness to remind him to check for flaws and stains, to count change carefully, and so forth.
JG8D69D
Posted in New York City
Tagged Chinese life, Diana, e3, family, Hugo, Hugo and Diana's visit, New York City, silk market, Stick
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Graffiti With Chinese Characteristics
I’ve noticed that Beijing is really low on graffiti. There are exceptions — names and dates scratched into the Great Wall or dust-signatures on cars — but there are almost no spray-painted tags or the type of graffiti I’d expect in a large city. TikiChris has noticed the same thing about Shanghai graffiti:
Generally speaking, graffiti in Shanghai is an extremely rare sight. Buildings come and go at such a rapid pace that, even if an intrepid artist had touched up a particular wall, there’s a good chance that said wall would have been demolished soon after …
In Shanghai’s art district, though, it seems that every available wall is decorated. TikiChris has some awesome examples of tags with Chinese characteristics here.
Posted in Beijing
Tagged awesome, cars, chinese, Chinese life, General, graffiti, other blogs, photoblog, Shanghai, with Chinese characteristics
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Man Shop
Like the Hall Of Concubines wasn’t bad enough…
Posted in New York City
Tagged adventures with Stick, Chinese life, e3, Forbidden City, Hugo, New York City
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Hall For Choosing Concubines
Don’t forget what we bought at the Man Shop.
Posted in New York City
Tagged as seen in Beijing, Chinese life, Diana, e3, Forbidden City, Hugo and Diana's visit, New York City
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Alltop China
I just discovered that Simpson’s Paradox is listed on AllTop’s China blogs… along with Sinosplice, Imagethief, RConversation, Hao Hao, IfGoGo, CNReviews, OneManBandwidth and a list of other really amazing China blogs. It’s awesome to be listed with the bloggers that I read when I was first adjusting to Yantai life.
Posted in Yantai
Tagged alltop, awesome, bloggers, China, China blog, China Blogs, Chinese life, CNReviews, other blogs, sinosplice, Yantai
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Year 11
Emma, Nicole, Alice, Clark Kent, Olina, Meg, Rita, Jack
This is my beloved Year 11 class. My school has a lot of administrative problems, but I’m always happy to see these kids. They are sweet, creative and funny, even when they have to overcome their English difficulties to share a joke with me. I know a good teacher probably shouldn’t have a favorite class, but I’m really going to miss them!
Posted in New York City
Tagged AP studies, Chinese life, e3, New York City, Redirection Academy, teaching teenagers
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Skype Conversation
Meg: Aren’t you leaving for work soon?
Eric: No, Meg. In this country we have a holiday called Independence Day, and most people have that day off from work.
Meg: Oh, right, it’s that day when a couple people light off a few fireworks. Boring!
Posted in New York City
Tagged Chinese life, cultural blunders by Meg, Eric, New York City, quotable friends
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Still Life Without Stick
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 together, hopefully my hasty stitches will last till Raleigh…
Manfred and Xuemei called later, to ask if I’m ok and if I want to stay at their place. It was so sweet! I’m really going to miss them.
I’ve got to say thanks for all the kind emails, comments and Facebooks you’ve sent me. It’s awesome to know I have computer friends! Thanks so much.
I don’t know what’s next for us. My school says they’re able to get me a visa, but I don’t know if that’s true. Anyway, that magical Z-visa comes with a year’s employment contract, and I don’t want to take it if Stick can’t live in Beijing with me.
I’m hoping we can keep living abroad, maybe teach in another country, maybe even come back to China when things are more normal. Maybe I’ll spend a couple months in the US, I’d love to see my family and my home friends. I know in a few months, I’ll be on my feet again and I’ll be posting about how great it is that I ended up where ever I am, and how having to leave China worked out fine for us.
Posted in Beijing, Books, North Carolina
Tagged awesome, back to China, Books, China, Chinese life, Facebook, family, mail, North Carolina, Raleigh, Rome, Stick, still life with
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Abrupt Change Of Plans
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 want to live apart from Stick again. I’ll also be going home in a few weeks, when I finish my commitments here.
I’m heartbroken to leave China but I don’t want to be where Stick isn’t.
Posted in Yantai
Tagged adventures with Stick, China, Chinese life, repatriation, Stick, Yantai
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