There’s a meme going around the Internet, especially in the travel realm. Writers from near and far are sharing links from that fit into the following seven categories. Two bloggers, Margaret at Cachando Chile and Suzy at SuzyGuese.com, tagged me. So, without further ado, here are my seven links. My Most Beautiful Post: The Mongolian Ger as […]
We met online. I was just getting over the end of my relationship with the University of California – Berkeley, and looking for something new. You had always been there, across the Pacific Ocean, and in the veins of so many of my fellow Golden Bears, but I had never really considered you. My heart […]
“If you want some paid work doing some voice over reading for an English textbook, call Dan [number redacted]. He needs a female today.” The day after I saw that text, I took the subway out to a residential area in western Beijing, then a car took me to a brand-new, concrete apartment complex, with […]
Yesterday I helped a friend research the meaning of 小资 (xiaozi) for a magazine piece. The first character, 小 (xiao), means little. The second character, 资(zi), stands for 资本主义 (zibenzhuyi), which means capitalism. So 小资 can be translated as “little capitalists” or “petty bourgeoisie.” We mentioned this to two Chinese friends, who both immediately described […]
That quote is from Lulu, one of my students at Jiaxing University. I could not have said it better myself! In one quick sentence, Lulu encapsulated my mindset in 2010. Beyond thinking about Chile, I’ve been on an occupational adventure. Projects Completed in 2010 (in chronological order, with some overlap, for various companies/clients): Trained 6 […]
Today my friend Shepherd and I strolled through Beijing’s Russian quarter, to document all signs of Christmas. We found so many tacky decorations and fabulous furs, and I thought you’d like these pictures: Merry Christmas! I hope you have a lovely holiday, full of joy and good food and happiness! :) love, leslie
In my last post, I referred to this piece by kindergarten teacher Christina Shunnarah, who works with students from all over the world. She describes culture as an iceberg, with a small part visible, and the vast majority hidden under the surface. Image Source This is one of my favorite excerpts from her excellent essay: […]
On Thanksgiving Thursday, we ordered a full turkey dinner for our whole team. In Chinese, the word for turkey is 火鸡 (huo ji) which literally translates to “fire chicken.” All day my colleagues asked “Fire chicken 来了吗?” in anticipatory glee. With mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and more, it looked and tasted […]
I just stumbled upon this email, which I sent home on November 17, 2006. I think it still stands true. Enjoy! Yeah, you read that right. I just watched Forrest Gump (a one-dollar bootleg DVD, of course) and now I understand why it was so popular here. One of my teaching colleagues even chose “Forrest” […]
The first in an occasional series about living, speaking, and writing at the intersection between languages. Of all the products in Beijing’s upscale supermarkets, these pistachios have the best branding. Let me count the ways! 1) Literal. “Pistachio” translates to 开心果 kaixinguo. 开 means open, 心 means heart, and 果 means fruit or nut. 开心 […]