I don’t fully understand why DVDs have regional settings. I know it has something to do with trying to limit hit movies from coming out on DVD before they are released in all markets in the world, but I’ve also seen enough bootlegs here in China to know that there have to be better ways… [Read More]
Blog
Tag: China
Something that makes me mad.
On Monday, the friend of one of my students came up to me to tell me that my student would be out because of cramps. “Western women, I don’t think they have these problems,” the friend said. I laughed. “Oh, yes, we do, but we have medication for it,” I said. So on Tuesday, the… [Read More]
A Penny I Don’t Like
I’m on the record as being a fan of the penny. But here in China, the closest thing to a penny is the jiao, which is a tenth of a yuan. A yuan is worth about $0.15, so a jiao is worth about $0.015. I don’t like having a wallet stuffed with little bits of… [Read More]
The View From My Window
This is quintessential modern China: lots of people, lots of traffic, lots of construction. And, for course, it is all going on outside my window!
A scene that cracked me up
I came across this kitchen while wandering through the Wenshu Monastery, and it just amuses me no end. It’s not so much the interplay of religion and the mundane as the elaborate altar.
