• The Joy of Fitting In

    The Joy of Fitting In

    (A note about terminology: In China, people from other countries are referred to as “外国人,” “foreigners.” In English, people like me are comfortable calling ourselves “foreigners.” However, I would never use the English term to… Read more

  • Count Your Blessings

    Count Your Blessings

    Internal migration, the movement of people from rural, economically depressed areas to better developed cities in their own country, has marked China’s history since the 1990s. China’s 2020 census reported that 376 million people were… Read more

  • Love like a Neighbor

    Love like a Neighbor

    “Who is my neighbor?” a church leader asked. Jesus responded with a story that revealed a problem of the pious, their prejudice against anyone not like them, including people of different descent, religion, political perspective,… Read more

  • We are your biggest funs!

    We are your biggest funs!

    While the TikTok ban was looming last week, a half million “TikTok refugees” flooded to a lesser known Chinese app, 小红书, RedNote. According to news reports, the app’s current users offered a humorous welcome, helping… Read more

  • Peace! Be Still!

    Peace! Be Still!

    An earthquake near my second home has me considering the need for peace. Literally, the earth there needs to still. Also in need of peace are the four teenagers I wrote about last time, other… Read more

  • Come, Set Them Free: A Tale of Four Teenagers

    Come, Set Them Free: A Tale of Four Teenagers

    As a guest in my second home, I usually keep my opinions about Chinese society to myself. One exception is in my area of professional expertise. As an educator, observations over many years have led… Read more

  • Circles and Spaces

    Circles and Spaces

    Over the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing thoughts about relationship circles, reflecting on sheep and goats and toilet paper brands. After reading the first of these posts, an author from my writing support group… Read more