Tag Archives: glasses
Super-Secret Bridal Shower
Katie’s super-secret shower was yesterday and now I can stop saying “your sho–bachelorette party”. I am the worst person ever when it come to keeping secrets, it was so hard for me not to mention the shower. Later we went … Continue reading
A New Semester
It’s the beginning of the semester, and I need a new parking pass. At UMass, I go see Marcus but at Local Community College, I end up waiting for a while, trying to catch the attention of one of the … Continue reading
Food I Don’t Hate
Since I’ve spent so much time complaining about Chinese food I don’t like, I thought I should devote some time to food I don’t hate. 1) Everything at the Japanese place on Huang Shan Lu. I love this place, I … Continue reading
Big Mountain
It seems that all expats in China all have something in common. It’s not just our supply of Purell, or our shared lust of bread and cheese, there’s also the group hatred of Da Shan. Da Shan / Mark Roswell … Continue reading
Without Thanksgiving
I’m heartbroken that I’ll miss Thanksgiving at home this year. I love every part of the holiday, but especially the food and my family in all our dysfunctional glory. I love getting home on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Last year … Continue reading
Not Quite A Mud Mask
Everytime I start to feel like I understand China Yantai my tiny neighborhood in Kaifaqu, something happens to remind me that I’m far away from home. Today Dorothy, another teacher, walked into the madhouse we call an office, giggling and … 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
It’s not a new job until you almost flash someone.
My class today was three Korean students. They call me Professor McGonagall, in Korean this time — and why does everyone do that? Is it that all Westerners look alike? Does “Meg” sound that much like “McGonagall”? Do I radiate … Continue reading
The Price of Tea in China
One of the most useful Chinese phrases is pronounced “can ee can”. It means “just looking” or in my case “Quit picking up merchandise and banging it against my glasses. I can be trusted to find any items in plain … Continue reading
Three Months In China
On my three-month anniversary with China, it was time to renew my visa. This was complicated enough in the US, a system that doesn’t run entirely on bribes and connections. Dealing with UMass administration for five-and-a-half years of college was … Continue reading
