The Land of Lost Luggage

On every street corner you can spot him.  His eternal smile finds you from nearly every inch of the Peoples Square. And just when you think you’ve escaped his Gumby-like figure, a street peddler accosts you, shoving a stuffed, blue toy of his likeness in your face.  He is the face behind the slogan, “Better city, better life”.  He is the mascot of the 2010 World Expo, Haibao. 

 

With all the world’s eyes on Shanghai next year, great efforts have been taken to live up to the...

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If you ever want to feel like a rock star, I suggest making a visit to China.  I’d been journaling earlier today at the edge of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, and I had a Chinese teenager, dressed in punk clothing, a group of young girls and their mothers, and two shy teenage girls approach me and ask to have photographs taken with me.  There was also a curious policeman who attempted to read over my shoulder, and a small boy, wearing a homemade grass crown, who also seemed to be very ...

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I woke up this morning with no idea of the adventure ahead of me.  I hadn’t planned on going sightseeing, but when I strolled down to the lobby of the hotel, a group of my friends were planning a trip to China’s national tea museum, and then they were heading to a teahouse for the real experience.  It sounded to me like a great day out, so I decided to join them.  We grabbed two brochures from the front desk with the tea museum written in Chinese characters so we could show each of o...

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Often referred to as “the Venice of the East”, Zhouzhuang offers visitors a unique shopping experience as they zigzag through this water township’s narrow cobble-stoned closes encountering treasures to remind them of their travels.  Although it can at times be difficult to maneuver through the crowd, avoiding the eager shouts of the shop owners advertising less desirable wares and mustering the courage to barter with those who offer true gems. 

Despite my own reluctance to haggle...

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It’s a rainy day in Kunshan, not exactly ideal conditions for watching the solar eclipse that supposedly occurs today.  And so I retreat, for the third time since waking up, back to the billowy comforts of my hotel bed.  I realize how glad I am to have this hotel room, a small haven away from the (at times) shockingly public streets of China.                

I remember seeing my first half naked child at the local grocery store defecating into a nearby trashcan, and wonderin...

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When my roommate and I entered through the front doors of the Four Points Sheraton in Changzhou, our mouths dropped in unison as we absorbed the beauty of the high-ceiling, chandelier lit, marble-tiled lobby.  As we rode the elevator to the 23^rd floor, I read an advertisement describing the hotels beds as “900 pieces springs supporting your body,” and the fact that I slept in until 10:30 this morning attests to the coziness of the mattress.  The room itself, equipped with a flat scree...

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Pedestrians Beware: You do NOT have the right of way when crossing the street in China.  Who does, you ask?  Well, that is certainly debatable, but when I’m crossing the street it’s definitely that vehicle that is rapidly approaching without any intention of slowing down, despite the clearly lit WALK sign.

In China, the traffic lights count down to the change of the light.  Sadly this does not ail any impatience that drivers may have, because they usually just ignore the light all tog...
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When touring China, there is hardly need to bring along your StairMaster.  A visit to just a few of the sights will give you beefier calves than Jillian Michaels.  After huffing and puffing my way up the 392 steps atop Shongshan Mountain to the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing, I thought for sure I'd experienced my toughest climb.  

That was until I hit the streets of Changzhou and found myself starring up 153 meters to the top of the TianNing Pagoda.  The 13-story Ze...
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It's an interesting feeling being away from the States on the Fourth of July.  In some ways it almost passes without second notice, there are no parades, picnics or fireworks in the sky to act as a reminder of my country's independence.  And yet, a sense of patriotism creeps into my daily life here nonetheless.  I remind myself to be grateful for the freedoms I posses as an American when it comes to anything from the simple pleasure of watching tv shows on youtube.com to walking along the ...
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Last night our local host, Vivi, surprised us with an impromptu field trip to the Confucius Temple.  I was expecting a quiet, historical area for contemplation, and boy, was I surprised when our taxi dropped us in an area that looked more like a Chinese Los Vegas.  Every building was light up with a neon sign, and people swarmed the streets weaving in between the men with rickshaws begging tourists to take a ride and vendors selling exotic meats shish-kabob style.  

   

All of the light...
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