A place for stray observations.
I feel it is time to finally address Chinese bathrooms. Now, in America we have toilets that resemble chairs – thrones, as they’re called. Among other things. In China, there are some chair-like toilets. They are primarily for the handicapped. The rest of us get squat toilets. This is a nice squat toilet, in the […]
I’ve been home! Shanghai thought it could keep me there, but it could not. And after some rushing I made it home, ducking in between thunderstorms like an un-laden swallow. I passed out in my hotel room, since it was too late for anyone to come and pick me up. I had a waffle for […]
I am normally impressed more by nature – with what the world comes by naturally. Urban settings don’t capture my attention as easily. Shanghai and Hangzhou might be the exceptions. Shanghai did not truly begin its modern expansion until the 1990s, so there was a lot of space available. Pudong, where the now famous financial […]
It’s raining – luckily the hotel staff gave me an umbrella to use. The concierge said something nice to me. He said, “I can tell you’re a teacher. You speak very clearly, and slow enough that I understand everything you say.” That takes work, a lot of work. I’m a fast talker by nature. I […]
Happy Easter weekend, everyone! As part of my celebration, I cancelled classes on Good Friday and headed to Chengdu. No budget hotel for me this time – I booked a room at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Chengdu. By Chinese standards, this hotel is super luxury, like one rung below a Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton is […]
Gal's Got Moxie 