On a rare clear day in Beijing, the mountains were actually visible from the dreaded Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital Airport. The first time I landed here was in 1984, and the only building was what is now Terminal 1 — but it didn’t look anything like it does now. Terminal 2 was opened in 1999, in time […]
Keeping Watch
You may have seen this amazing photo making the rounds this Memorial Day weekend. It was taken at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, here in the Twin Cities, the same cemetery where my father was laid to rest. Our local newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune told the story of this photo in an article published […]
Friday Photo: Washing the Fire Truck
In the mid-1980’s I taught at a small college in Zhenghou, Henan Province. Our school was next door to the local fire station and we loved watching them wash their trucks out on the street. And yes, you are seeing that correctly — they are pointing that hose INTO the truck. Must’ve all been plastic […]
A Foreign Face
When I was living in Changchun in the 1990’s it was common to field requests to be “token foreigners” at various events or productions. Changchun is home to one of China’s largest film studios so whenever a director was in need of a foreign face for a film, he/she would call up the Foreign Student […]
A Chinatown Grows in Brooklyn
The New York Times recently published a fascinating article about the influx of Chinese immigrants into Brooklyn and the growth of new “Chinatown” enclaves all over the borough. It’s a wonderful depiction of the ebb and flow of immigrant communities in the city: Just before 5 p.m., wave after wave of smiling toddlers came bounding down […]
Friday Photo: Santa and Friends
I miss the randomness of life in Beijing, and few photos illustrate that randomness more than this one: Please note that Santa doesn’t seem to be the least bit embarrassed! Related Posts: Santa on a Scooter Christmas in China
