Last weekend the ground covered with a layer of snow. This morning it was dirt. Tons of it. I knew something strange was brewing this morning when I woke up and saw a yellow glow through my curtains. That could only mean one thing: a sandstorm had enveloped the capital. Here's what it looked like […]
Gracewood Cottage
Well, my mom finally bit the bullet this week and started a blog called Gracewood Cottage. That's the name we've given to her house. Yes, this is the same Gracie who came to China 3 years ago to celebrate her 80th birthday. You can read about that adventure here. She's also the subject of one […]
Got Chicken?
Yesterday I wrote about the post-op hyluronic acid injections into my knee. Today, in response, a friend emailed me to say that she gets these injections every few months and that her husband jokes that she's having her oil changed. She also said that the fluid (I believe she referred to it as a 'slime/oil/goop/jello' […]
Shooting Acid
No, I haven't started doing drugs. But at four months since my knee surgery, I have entered a rehab/recovery phase that does include injecting something called hyaluronic acid into my knee joint. Today I had the second of three injections that are given at two-week intervals. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally part […]
Who’s Driving You?
In his book Country Driving Peter Hessler has this great observation after taking a Chinese driving course: "Foreigners in Beijing often said to me, I can't believe you're driving in this country. To which I responded: I can't believe you get into cabs and buses driven by graduates of Chinese driving courses. Out on the […]
The First Third
Last week I celebrated my 17th third birthday. My mom and sister in Minnesota managed to dig up a couple of photos of my first third birthday, celebrated in Dadu, Pakistan. Two angel-food cakes put together. Looks more like an 8 to me, but I guess the tip-off is the three candles. I notice that […]
