Tag Archives: General
Visiting Strangetown: Sims 2 on the DS
You’re on your way from someplace much cooler to someplace much cooler when your car breaks down in Strangetown, and the Sims 2 game begins. A local yokel says he can fix that, but while you’re waiting (it goes without … Continue reading
Wolverine
Going into a superhero movie, we all know that we have to suspend our disbelief just a little bit more, but ill-defined powersets abound in the new X-Men Origins. Really, how many extra-strong, invulnerable guys with extendable knuckle claws can … Continue reading
Grammar In The Projects
I got a couple weeks of work teaching at a GED program run by the local housing authority. The funding situation hcnaged at the last minute, so my starting situation was a bit disorganized, but not so bad that someone … Continue reading
Wizard 101
I was predisposed to like the new Wizard 101 game. It’s not exactly a secret that I love Harry Potter, and the game promises to be a wizard school MMOPRG. The game is adorable from the first loading screen. They’ve … Continue reading
USA Today On Pre-Olympics Security, Regulations, Visas
I’m quoted in USA Today, in an article about the pre-Olympic security measures and visa restrictions. The article talks to disappointed Beijingers — Chinese residents, long-term ex-pats and tourists — about their pre-Olympic experiences. It’s worth reading, although it’s a … Continue reading
Other Bloggers On Visa Changes
A post on the awesome OneManBandwidth blog says goodbye to many expat friends, and mentions an unexpected side effect of the inability to get and keep a legit working visa in education: Teachers were affected about a year ago when … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Frustrations
Last night, Stick predicted that I wouldn’t get paid on time, because the new shift in the state holiday calendar has led to an increase in mei you frustration. The holidays were rearranged to break up the long Golden Week … Continue reading
Take Care Knock Heads
In Beijing, it’s hard to get away from the Olympic improvements. I think the changes are somewhere between using the good china for company, and completely reinventing your wardrobe, habits and personality to attract some guy from history class. (Not … Continue reading
Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader
I was on World Have Your Say again last night (if you’re my mom, you can download the show). The discussion was about Susan Jacoby’s new book The Age of American Unreason, which claims that Americans are getting dumber and … Continue reading
