There’s a question I’ve come to dread in my life: “Where are you from?” I’ve been asked this question many times by many people, in...

If you are an American child of the 80’s like me, one of your earliest exposures to China might have been the Sesame Street Special, “Big...

My Chinese class just finished reading an essay about emperor Kangxi, one of China’s greatest emperors.  Somehow in our discussion,...

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.  I love the memories from when I was young and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered...

On my last trip to the Great Wall, about five minutes after I arrived at the top of the wall, a kid (maybe about 12) mustered up the...

One of my favorite memories from the time I was in the U.S. this fall was teaching several groups of people to make Chinese dumplings....

Last winter, I saw snow on the ground ONCE, and it wasn’t very much snow.  Winter was cold and dry.  After surviving the previous winter,...

On Saturday, I went on a group hike to a section of the un-restored Great Wall.  This section is far off the tourist path and some work...

Sometimes I like to take my camera out and take a saunter around my neighborhood, stopping to photograph whatever seems interesting. ...

I ate chicken feet (okay, a chicken foot) in my own apartment.  Chicken feet are on my list of things I’d rather not eat because of their...

I don’t start back to class until Monday.  So this week I decided to spend a day learning about and enjoying Beijing.  First, I went to...

Happy New Year, everyone!  The traditional Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, and today is the first day of the New Year.  (Note:...

“Welcome home,” a friend greeted me when I got back to Beijing from my travels.  It was a good feeling, to be welcomed back to this...

Sunday I took a quick trip to the Temple of Heaven with some church friends who were passing through Beijing.  The Temple of Heaven is...

In some ways, it seems odd for a coffee shop to be popular in China, where tea is the most common beverage.  And yet, coffee shops are...

“All it takes is the decision to walk with some awareness, both of who you are and what you are doing” (An Altar in the World, Barbara...

I had visitors this week, and I took them to the Great Wall Wednesday.  There are several portions north of Beijing, and the one we went...

“Reverence may take all kinds of forms, depending on what it is that awakens awe in you by reminding you of your true size.” —An Altar in...

Beijing’s weather is similar to Michigan’s, but slightly warmer.  While Michigan had its first frost, Beijing’s air just turned crisp...

When I was preparing to move, people kept telling me I’m really brave.  I don’t think of myself as brave.  I don’t feel brave.  When I...