Month: November 2005

Ah Minnesota!  It’s the day after Thanksgiving and it’s snowing!!!  It’s been snowing all morning, and I think we’ve got about 3 inches on the ground this afternoon!  Its’ gorgeous—something I was hoping would happen during my 2 weeks at home.  I’d still prefer a "10-incher", but I’ll happily take this.  We get snow occasionally…

Hi folks.  I’m back in the Twin Cities now, and yesterday I had one of those "where am I?" experiences that I usually experience in China. I was downtown Minneapolis, stopping in at my church to visit some friends in the office there.  The offices are on the fourth floor, so I got on the…

I know, that’s kind of an odd statement for someone with my lifestyle, which rarely sees me going more than a six-week stretch without travelling somewhere!  There are times when I feel like a spend a good deal of my time packing and unpacking (something I hate even more than packing).  And tonight I’m packing…

I was downtown this evening, and had one of those "what the…?" experiences as I was running across the street to hail a cab.  The street I was on is known for it’s plethora of wedding studios…places where couples go to get dolled up in multiple costumes and pose for wedding photos.  It’s a huge…

It’s November 15 in Beijing, and the reason I’m so happy is because this is the day that the heat in my building is turned on.  In fact, this is the day that the central government has decreed that the heat can be turned on all over the city.  That’s right, folks, the government decides…

I have just returned from a banquet at the Great Hall of the People, jointly hosted by the Minnesota State Government and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.  As some of you may or may not know, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty, is leading a MN Trade delegation to China this…