China
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Cycles of Blessing
I met with a professional success this week. Over the last few years at my school, I’ve done some one-on-one professional development with other teachers. We’ve even published academic articles about our experiences. Then, as some students at our school… Continue reading
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Double Eleven
On a Sunday morning here, I was listening to a recording of a sermon from an American church. The pastor had been addressing married couples and switched her attention to others in the congregation: “Children and young adults,” she said… Continue reading
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“Waistful” Moments
At the beginning of a culture course I taught, students would turn in anonymous questions which were answered throughout the semester as appropriate. One year, a student asked, “Why do Americans always carry a large pack and stride?” Times have… Continue reading
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Oasis of Hope
A drive through my Chinese province affords a clear picture of life on the edge of the Gobi Desert. Swaths of sandy ground stretch out toward a border of brown, craggy mountains. On windy days, billows of dust obscure the… Continue reading
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Donkey Sunday
On one of my sister’s many trips to China, I took her to visit a student’s countryside home. If you asked for her memories, she’d mention eating all our meals outside, the hole-in-the-ground toilet which was also quite alfresco, and… Continue reading
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Tooting Horns
My grandpa colored his speech with a variety of sayings, some his own grandpaisms, others familiar adages with grandpa characteristics. Grandparents world round seem to be full of such witticisms. In fact, my sister and I have picked up a… Continue reading
Water for the Weary 