My friend who writes for "That’s Shanghai" has penned an article about moving from the city out into the ‘suburbs’ of Shanghai, thinking that he and his family would enjoy a more bucolic, and hopefully quieter lifestyle. But it has not been the case, as he has found out that life "outside" (the ring road,…
Month: January 2008
Oklahoma!
It seems that all elevators in China have music playing on them, usually Kenny G or something equally sappy. But not the elevator of the Hong Kong-Macau International Center on the east side of town. This afternoon I got on an elevator over there and was greeted by the song "Oklahoma!". You know, the one…
Good On Ya, Australia
I’m now back in Beijing after a wonderful few weeks in the land down under. For this traveler who usually flies strictly east-west, it was kind of strange to fly for 12 hours, and actually arrive at my destination the same day, not a day later, or as is the case when I fly to…
A Tribute to My Father
It has now been seven years since my father died. Below are the words that I spoke in farewell and tribute to my dad at his memorial service on January 25, 2001, in Roseville, Minnesota. Speaking them before 600 people was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The first part of this tribute…
Tassie Coast
I’m writing this from the Online Access Center in St. Helens, Tasmania ("Tassie," as the locals call it). I picked up at smart blue Toyota at the Launceston airport yesterday and drove over here. It was only about 120 miles, but it took over three hours to get here. What the map didn’t clearly show…
Bush-walking
Here in Australia, hiking is called bush-walking. It seems everything that is not urban is classified as “bush”. Yesterday, since my teaching responsibilities were done by the afternoon, I decided to take a walk in the bush above the training center where I have been staying. It was a nice warm day, and I needed…