When I do orientation programs for new teachers in China, I usually include a presentation entitled “A Prism of Isms.” I got the idea from a great book titled “The Whole World Guide to Culture Learning” by Daniel J. Hess. One of the culture learning activities that he suggests is identifying and comparing the various […]
A Tribute to My Father
Twelve 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 […]
Two Things I Don’t Miss
Two months ago today I flew out of Beijing to begin a longish stint back in the US of A. For a variety of reasons, both personal and professional, I will be based in the US and travel often to China, instead of the other way around — as has been the case for the […]
The Genius that was China
I am currently teaching a course on Chinese history and culture at Taylor University in Indiana. In my class this morning I had the students watch episode 1 of a fantastic (but old — 1990) TV series called “The Genius that was China.” Here is the description of the series, from the Hulu Plus site: […]
The Golden Rules of China
I was going through some old files on my computer this evening and ran across this list that a Chinese friend gave me years and years ago of 12 so-called ‘golden rules’ of doing any kind of business in China. I don’t know where he/she got it, and I can’t even remember who it was, […]
