Yesterday morning I rode my bike to the office, which was a good thing because the street in front of the school where the office is located was a parking lot. A big bus and a big truck were face to face, completely surrounded by parked cars and cars trying to get around the parked […]
Bian Lian (Face-Changing)
One of my favorite traditional Chinese peforming arts is Bian Lian (变脸), which literally means “change face.” As he performs choreographed moves, the performer instantly changes masks– so instantly in fact, that it’s nearly impossible to tell how it is done. Tradition has it that the art form could only be passed down from father […]
Bells. Found.
We worshipped this morning in a Romanesque style church that was designed by a Russian; built in a Chinese city under Japanese occupation; and has a bell that was cast in Germany in 1883. How did a bell made in 1883 in Germany end up in a church in China in 1938? How did […]
Bell-hopping Again
You may think that my interest in Chinese church bells is waning. If so, you are mistaken I'm heading out again this weekend with a friend to check out some church bells in the coastal city of Qingdao. There are two old churches there, (1 Protestant and 1 Catholic) which have bells. Here's what one […]
The Sun has been Eaten
Yesterday I went out for lunch with some colleagues and we got to talking about the solar eclipse that had taken place in the morning. I missed it ( still trying to get my eyes open), but one of guy had managed to snap a photo of it. I asked the Chinese gal who was […]
A Smiling American Fisherman
Last month I played host to a group of new and old friends who came to Beijing for a week of activities to help my mom celebrate her 85th birthday. We had more fun than should be allowed running around the city seeing the sights, meeting people, and of course eating great food. One of […]
