OK. I’ve created a few reviews for Trip Advisor, letting folks know the real deal about Kunming, China. It’s a lot more fun than writing updates on FB. But these travel websites always have the same categories: cool places to eat, visit and sleep. But hey–you are missing out on the real Chinese experience: the smells. So here are […]
Smell Advisor: Top Smells of China
Zhunk Food
It’s Dragon Day festival in China, another holiday that revolves around food. Lots of it. These are called zhongzi (pronounced jong-gee) a pyramid shaped package of rice and sweet fruit filling–at least I think it’s fruit–with a few good size seeds. You can crack a tooth on one of them if you’re not careful. You can’t buy zhongi from a […]
After School Snacks
Chinese teens are no different than American teens: as soon as school lets out, they reach for a snack. This lady had a Chinese burrito. An eggy “tortilla” packed with spices, chips and a Chinese hotdog. I’d rather have my fingernails removed than eat a Chinese hot dog. The ping pong team was still practicing… but the girls were at […]
Hangouts
I miss some of my hang outs in Chicago’s Uptown. Everybody’s Coffee The lobby of Friendly Towers. Dollop. But I do have a few hangouts in Kunming’s BeiChen area. Here are some of my stomping grounds on the flip side. This is one of my favorite coffee shops in the BeiChen Fortune Shopping Mall. They have coffee, waffles and […]
Cute Háizi
China makes a lot of things…but the cutest thing they make are kids. Here are some snips of some children or hái zi (pronounced hide-zha) that caught my eye this week. Girl playing with her smart phone at a Muslim Goat Hot Pot restaurant. A pint size sherpa climbing Snow Mountain, Yunnan, China. Bundled up Bus Baby in itsy bitsy glasses. David likes to […]
Hong Kong
It was over thirty years ago, the term after I broke my back skydiving, and the height of the now forgotten Falkland Island Crisis. My life was in a bit of a crisis, too. I took a break from MSU and studied for a term in London, being mindful to call my parents collect every Sunday assure them I was […]
Go fly a Fengzheng
You think it would be easy. I brought my kite from the USA to China, which sounds as ludicrous as Anheuser Busch importing their own rice to this country to make Budweiser beer. In China, fengzheng flying (pronounced phone-jen) is a serious hobby, where yeyes, (wise grandfathers) rule the skies and teach youngsters the ropes. Or in my case, give advice on how to untangle a three […]
Farmer’s Market
I went to a farmer’s market today in Kunming. It was more colorful than a bag of Skittles. A lot of shoppers rode bikes… including this guy who needed one of those OVERSIZED LOAD signs. My favorite was the rice bike. It’s the Chinese version of the Good Humor truck. Do you want one scoop or two? Or strawberry shortcake? You can […]
A DAY THAT NEVER WAS
It’s funny flying to the flipside. Father Time either swallows a day when you fly west over the international date line, or gives you a day back if you fly east, allowing you to land before you ever left. Well, yesterday, while flying back to China, my mother in law passed away. It was about nine o’clock CST, seven hours after take off, putting […]
Why I got my hair cut.
It was a typical day in China. I was out enjoying the typical Chinese scenery… teaching English at an upscale Equestrian -Golf club outside of Kunming, China. It was the kind of resort where you’d wipe your butt with hundred dollar bills…that is,if they offered toilet paper in their restrooms. Luxurious was an understatement for this resort. Easily five stars, just like […]