This is the…fifth…attempt I’ve made at writing my birthday reflections. #1 was all about me chronologically. It was boring. (Summary: Hey all! I tried to get a small “cake” but forgot my phrasebook! Translation nightmare!) Lesson learned: Sometimes I hide behind the events so I don’t have to actually reflect. #2 was me trying to […]
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 […]
The best sleep is jet-lagged sleep, if you can hold out to where it’s time for bed. It’s the closest experience I have to sleeping “like the dead,” as the saying goes. On a normal night, I believe myself to be a light sleeper. But really, I have to insist everyone give jet-lagged exhaustion sleep […]
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 […]
Gal's Got Moxie 