That is the slogan of the Minnesota State Fair, which is currently taking place in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fortunately, I am in Beijing. The last time I went to the Fair (1995 perhaps), I had a panic attack. I had just returned from China and the sight of so many over-sized women in under-sized garments […]
Where are the Mops?
For those of you who subscribe to this blog by email, the video clip of mops that was on yesterdays’ post “Start Seeing Mops” may not have been accessible in the email that you received yesterday. I have no idea why that would be. To see the video clip, click on the title of yesterday’s […]
Start Seeing Mops
I’m a compulsive observer. I think it is partly due to a very curious nature, partly due to having grown up overseas, and partly due to training that I received in acting classes in college, when our professor would send us out into the community to just sit and observe. We would sit for hours […]
Duck Number 100560
Earlier this week I gave a lecture at a training program for middle school English teachers from Guangzhou. They held the closing ceremonies for the program this noon at the Quan Ju De Beijing Roast Duck Restaurant, and I was invited. For most of the participants, this was their first trip to Beijing, so their […]
Random Acts of Head Gear
I spent Saturday morning sitting on the veranda of a neighborhood hotel, enjoying the warmth of a late summer sun. The orientation program that I have been a part the past three weeks finished on Friday, and I had wandered over to the hotel to bid farewell to the participants. As we were sitting there, […]
There’s More than One Way to Hang a Light Bulb
Spotted in a local restaurant…