Monthly Archives: August 2012

A Love Letter

Posted on August 31, 2012 by mmstroet

Inspired by the book I picked up in a second-hand bookshop this afternoon and then read in the shelter of a nearby hole-in-the-wall restaurant, I have written a love letter. I spent the afternoon reading, eating, watching the rain fall … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Tidbit | 1 Comment

A Little Chinglish (and Yianyu? or Yingtonghua?)

Posted on August 26, 2012 by mmstroet

It’s amusing to me how I can review Chinese grammar by listening to the way the Chinese people in my office make sentences in English. For example, “Ok, we go a few minutes later.” Many of the teachers I observed … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Tidbit | 3 Comments

The Word on the Street

Posted on August 24, 2012 by mmstroet

The trick to being brave is not to think too hard. “How brave of you!” people would occasionally exclaim when they heard I was moving to China without knowing a soul. I would just sort of smile and shuffle awkwardly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative | 3 Comments

Homeless in Shenzhen

Posted on August 22, 2012 by mmstroet

I woke up this morning on a bench near Lianhua park feeling remarkably refreshed. There was no sunrise, merely a sudden shift from mild darkness to a grey morning haze. I sat up and looked around and saw there were … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative | 5 Comments

Always a Surprise

Posted on August 17, 2012 by mmstroet

I got out of a new subway station the other day to meet my Mandarin teacher, and here’s what I saw: Then: Yep, I was in the Alps of Southern China! I also saw a lovely Buddhist temple in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Funny | 1 Comment

Drinking Tap Water

Posted on August 16, 2012 by mmstroet

Lil’ ole mo can be kinda stupid sometimes. Especially when she’s trying to save money. Perhaps I’ve only survived the past two weeks because I have a stomach of steel… I got off the plane in the Beijing airport about … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative | 2 Comments

Tai’qi quan!

Posted on August 14, 2012 by mmstroet

So, I got up at 6am on Monday to do Tai’qi with the old folks in front of the massive shopping mall near my house. They, as well as everyone who walked by, were quite convinced I’m either crazy or … Continue reading →

Posted in Funny, Narrative | 3 Comments

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Posted on August 12, 2012 by mmstroet

It’s a beautiful movie, like all of Zhang Yimou’s that I’ve seen. The movie is about fathers and sons and the role ancient art forms can play in today’s fast-paced world. Both are themes that I love (perhaps because they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Narrative | 2 Comments

Experiment in Chinese Cooking

Posted on August 11, 2012 by mmstroet

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Death by Chinese Manners