I didn’t want to stare. His head was as big as his straw hat, hanging over his neck the way a beer belly does a belt. His face was not like a face at all. The medical term is lymphatic filariasis, swelling caused by the bite of a rare mosquito. You might know it by the vulgar name elephantiasis or […]
Lazarus
The Lure of Cheese
So how does one end up in China? It was the lure of cheese.
The Power of Words
It’s one of the few words that I know in Chinese. If you pronounce it correctly, you’ll be saying thank you. If you pronounce it wrong, you’ll be saying anything but.
Magic Mushroom Hot Pot
You know a mushroom hot pot (mó gu huǒ guō) must be good if your guide first warns you about the possible side effects.
Show Me The Money
It’s the photo that every Chinese tourist takes when they travel to Guilin: their holding a 20 RMB in front of the actual scene Etched on the back of the bill. So why didn’t I take the money shot at Guiling that the rambling tour guide suggested? I couldn’t stop staring at the dead pig floating in the Yi River. […]
Etch-a-Sketch
I did that time warp thing over the weekend otherwise known as a high school class reunion. For some reason, I thought the class of 1979 would class preserved in time like a loaf of Velveeta. Well, surprise, surprise, surprise. My life took a left turn from what I had planned, my 401 K downsized to a 4, my […]
Life Before Instant Messaging
I’m sick of it all. I’m so sick of it, I don’t want to write about it. We live in a thumb happy society, where thumbs need muzzles before they tweet to the masses, before students text their English teachers with happy faces instead of words. Really students? If you want me to help you with your grammar, start writing […]
Filling a Father’s Shoes
It was a few days after the Oklahoma City bombings. I was behind a two way mirror in Florida eating handfuls of m&ms while listening to women discuss fiber infused yogurt when I got the call from my oldest sister. “Ginger, you better come home.” By the time American Airlines got me booked on a flight to Grand Rapids, my […]
The Rice Pilaf is always Fluffier
Asia life
Never Again
Living in Asia means a life full of surprises. Some good, some frustrating, some predictably weird, like the on-off switch to the rainy season. The amount of rain that can be dumped in Bangkok in twenty minutes is insane. But there’s no such thing as global warming, so no need to worry. Just buy yourself a swamp boat like they […]