China
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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
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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 students, especially girls from rural… Continue reading
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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 me to conclude that children… Continue reading
Water for the Weary 