China
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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
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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 internal migrants, playing a role… Continue reading
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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 “refugees” navigate the mostly Chinese… Continue reading
Water for the Weary 