It`s funny how some things change and some things stay the same. Or perhaps things don`t really stay the same, we merely adapt in such a way that our minds protect us from the change. I don`t have too much time to elaborate, but this is something that I've been thinking about recently ( Read more... )

Hey guys,

Also thought I'd let you know when I'm leaving: December 25th. Back to Beijing, and thence to Australia for New Year's.

I used the word "thence" in a serious sentence.

I'm back in the States, folkses, after a long absence. Stuck at home for the most part, so if you have a hankering to get in touch with me, give me a call at 571 248 6717 or email me at battlesage at gmail.

Oh, and go visit The Hypermodern. George Ding and some friends of ours are launching an online magazine of sorts! Starts on January 1st ( Read more... )

Sort of. Some of you may have noticed my many-month hiatus from livejournal. Not just posting, but also complete lack of commenting as well. This is thanks to your not-so-friendly neighborhood Chinese censor, who decided to put livejournal on the list of banned blog sites. This occurred around November of last year. I was hoping that it would ( Read more... )

Back in DC for a short visit starting on Feb. 21. I'll see if I can make it to any of the planned events.

( Read more... )

Or that's what it feels like, at least. And by the end of it, it will have been 2 months. I started with a jaunt down to Bangkok, Thailand for an extended weekend. Almost as soon as I got back, Kate came from Australia for 20 days, and I took her on the whirlwind tour of Beijing and environs. Great Wall, Forbidden City, Wangfujing, Xidan, ( Read more... )

Can't sleep. In an utterly foul and self-absorbed mood tonight. A combination of some bad news, irritation, and exhaustion, I think. I suspect I may be overworking myself.

I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning.

EDIT: Morning. I feel better.

I am spending a quietly literary afternoon of study today. A student's blog provides excellent source material for everyday conversational words to then look up and memorize. Hmm. Will make a note of this: Perhaps I should find some active (and grammatical) blogger and make my students practice reading their blog. Will search my friends' list ( Read more... )

So Thailand was a great deal of fun. Highlights of it include the Grand Palace and the temples there, a trip to Ayuthaya, amazing jazz music at this hole in the wall dive bar, really cool Khon puppet show, riding an elephant, and wandering into one of the infamous dancer bars on my last night there. Oh, and great food ( Read more... )