China. The spontaneous decision that changed my life for the better. As Confucius so rightly said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” This couldn’t be truer, with the past year of my life spent living and working in a rural Chinese village. Who would I be now, if I hadn’t … Continued
I have never understood how anyone can like January. The sad, sinking feeling caused by limp, leftover tinsel hanging in shops, braving the dreary weather without any promise of a mulled wine stop, realising that everyone you know has vowed to lose weight, save money or quit drinking- it is a real slog of a … Continued
Before I traveled to China, I was worried about so many things. Would I find anything to eat? Would the bathrooms be clean? Would we be able to find the right bus? I had carried a wordless book with colorful images in hopes that when I could not communicate, I could point. On the street … Continued
China has more natural beauty than any country I have ever seen. Once you get out of the big cities you will find yourself in a different world, more like a fairy tale with untouched nature. It’s a place you have to see with your own eyes to believe it exists. My ideal day starts … Continued
As seen on Huffington Post Travel: A Review of Traveling in Sin: I love reading travel books; memoirs are enjoyable and well-written accounts make me feel like I’m truly present in another part of the world. For this reason I was looking forward to reading Traveling In Sin, a memoir about an adventurous couple from the … Continued
In the absence of a proper access road to upper and lower Yubeng villages, a capturing charm resonates in the valleys where they reside. At the foot of the year round snowcapped Meili mountains, a forested valley houses several traditional Tibetan dwellings. These days almost every house functions as a humble, though character full, guest … Continued
Independent Exploration in China? During our first sabbatical year, George and I traveled to several places I had always wanted to see like the Xi’an Warriors in China. After college in 1990, I studied ceramics for several years and learned to throw pots in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. I took class on Tuesday mornings … Continued
A Place That Inspires Awe: English Corner: Shenzhen’s Undiscovered Gem by Armand Diab If you’re a foreigner in Shenzhen, China, you’re probably not as unique as you think you are. I mean, sure, Westerners in certain parts of China stick out like a sore thumb, and are often victims of being stared at by the curious … Continued
I awake in the dark. Where am I? Momentary befuddlement is replaced by a kaleidoscope of recollections. The journey. The excitement of arrival. The dizzying intoxication of new sounds, sights and smells. Marvelling at the dazzling beauty of Hong Kong, her skyscrapers illuminated like stars in the firmament. The captivating juxtaposition of East and West. … Continued
China: Lost in Lu Xun Park If I had been asked to paint Independence as a nineteen-year-old college sophomore, the resulting red-white-and-blue canvas would likely have featured George Washington riding a bald eagle with the US Constitution clutched in its talons. By that time, I naively fancied myself well-versed on the subject – I had … Continued