Oren and Wendy

Should One Be Surprised?

Kingdom of the Little People, a theme park in Kunming, China

Home

I have to move again, I was told this week. The landlord wants to charge more to a new tenant. Apparently, my single is only slightly cheaper than a double. Since moving in here, I've felt as though I were living in a hotel. A temporary selection. The absolutely-clean-for-once space of it all. Some of the best apartments I've lived in have been those I didn't live in in the US.

Meanwhile, in South Korea

a shoe thief

In Michigan

Congratulations to Ben Lantz, who passed his audition on Friday for acceptance into Wayne State University's music-technology program!

Sunny

This week Sunny became my new Chinese teacher.

I'm Your Passenger

from Harper's Magazine: "Six Questions for Peter Hessler about Driving in China"

And if you sit in the front passenger seat of a cab in Dalian and try to put the seatbelt on, you'll most likely hear, "{No need}," or, "{I'm a good driver.}" The first time I reached for the seatbelt, the driver said, "{Don't be so silly.}" I shrugged and continued trying to put it on, but he physically prevented me from doing so.

Dawn

me 'n' Dawn at work