Yesterday I decided to slip away from my conference to visit a local hospital here in Chiang Mai. I wanted to see a dermatologist about a funny spot above my eyebrow. I stopped off at the check-in desk and they sent me to the fourth floor, where the sweet nurses escorted me to a nice […]
Three Kinds of Foreigners
I'm in Chiang Mai, Thailand this week, attending a conference. Unlike Bangkok, it's big sister in the south, Chiang Mai is a laid back town with tons to keep tourists entertained: elephant rides, jungle trekking, butterfly farms, foot massages, shopping, and great eateries. Being a compulsive people-watcher, I enjoy watching the tourists who breeze through […]
Happy Niu Year!
Here in Beijing we are only 15 minutes away from the beginning of a new year–the Year of the Ox. The fun thing about that is the Chinese word for ox is niu (pronounced nee-you….say it real fast). Since it got dark around 6pm the city has turned into a free-fire zone. Virtually all bans […]
A Dog’s Life
I stumbled across this column by humorist Dave Barry. It's for all you dog lovers out there. Be warned, though: do not read this if your bladder is full. Just don't. Here's the opening graph… I'm trying to convince my wife that we need a dog. I grew up with dogs, and am comfortable with […]
Sharpening the Knife
One of the fun (and difficult) things about the Chinese language is that since it's been around for 5000 years or so, it has an idiom or set expression to cover every conceivable circumstance that a human being might find him/herself in. I learned a fun one yesterday: 磨刀不误砍柴功 (mo dao bu wu kan chai […]
A Tribute to My Father
Eight years ago today, 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 was written at […]
