Well not too much has happened since yesterday's post. After i left here we went back to my apartment and fixed my gas so i can *theoretically* cook, but i still think I'm a few weeks away from attempting that on my own yet. After that was fixed i went over to Dixon's place and we talked about Barack Obama and politics and multiple other things,...

The traffic here is something you can only understand by experiencing. Despite the high volume of bicycles, carts, horses, cars, trucks and walkers, no one seems to get disturbed. If anyone has reason for road rage, it's the Chinese. Yet, everyone persistently moves along their way, dodging others. I have been in a car on a four lane highway and...

Our day ended a little earlier today. It's about 8:00 pm here and I am thinking about the Pennsylvania primary just getting underway. No one in China is concerned. Today we visited schools in Taian, about an hour and half drive into the "countryside." On the drive to Taian, our translator Yue stayed behind to teach her class, so Lihua and I stru...

We arrive at the Shenyang airport and are welcome by Sarah's mom and uncle. I've only seen her mom's picture before so it was rather emabarrasing when I mistook her uncle for her father. Anshan is the biggest steel producing city in China and her mom is involved in that business. It was an hour drive to Anshan from the airport. I don't remember ...

It was raining when I woke up. Apparently there was a big storm during the night, but I didn't hear it. Breakfast at the hotel consists of strong coffee, dim sum (steamed rolls with various fillings), dry pastries, scrambled eggs and some Chinese dishes including three types of gruel. I stick with the coffee, eggs, and dim sum. I spent a couple ...

This morning I went to ANU with KC and the students in a school van. I met the dean of the finance school where I am teaching, Mr. Jingtai Qu. After we talked for a while (through an interpreter), he took me to meet the University President, Xiaogang Chen. Mr. Chen and I talked (again through an interpreter) and exchanged gifts. He gave me a nic...