400 hundred years ago Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci died at his home in Beijing. In 1601, with the special permission of the emperor, he became the first foreigner to live in the city. The Britannica Concise Encyclopedia gives this summary of his life and work: Italian Jesuit missionary who introduced Christianity to China. From a […]
Seventeenth Third
Today is my 17th 3rd birthday. One of my 'mathy' friends pointed that out to me yesterday when I was bemoaning the actual number on this particular birthday. Of course when she said that I immediately thought of my first third birthday, which is really one of the first memories I have. My family was […]
Where are the Photos?
Upon receiving my copy of the Hessler book, Country Driving, A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory, the first thing I did was flip through to see if there were any photographs. I was slightly disappointed that there weren't any. I wasn't surprised, though, since Hessler tends not to put photographs in his book. […]
Road-Tripping
Finally, my copy of Peter Hessler's new book Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory has arrived. My mom sent it along with some friends who are visiting from Minnesota. Hessler writes about his experiences driving around China in a rented car and living in a village outside of Beijing. As always, […]
Sitting in a Box
Earlier this evening I took some visitors to a local restaurant. During the meal my cell phone rang. Because I believe that cell phone etiquette demands that calls be taken away from the table rather than subject fellow diners to one side of a private conversation, I stepped outside to take the call. As I […]
Death by Traffic Jam
This morning I learned a popular saying among Beijingers: 堵不死，就胜利。 (du bu si, jiu sheng li) It means "If you don't die while stuck in traffic, that's victory." And of course it came to mind in the afternoon as I sat in the back of a taxi inching my way across town on the Second […]
