yeti speak…

  • a t-shirt says a thousand words

    There’s a plethora of slightly strange T-shirts on display here in Xining.  I wish I could remember all the funny ones I’ve seen.  I’m specifically talking about the T-shirts with English "slogans" on them.  I often find myself trying to get into the mind of the Chinese marketing/design person or department who was responsible for…

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  • blogger’s block

    I’ve been trying to think of something interesting to blog about lately, but I’ve been having a bit of a block… I think it’s because this feels a bit like a time in-between times.  (Not quite summer, but definitely past the point of me being a highly motivated language student for the semester…)  I’ve also…

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  • Wade in the water, children!

    I didn’t really believe they even could win it in six…but I must say it was a GREAT way to start my morning… Then I was forced to go to Chinese Grammar Class.  No more skipping for me…due to sporting events anyway.  I’ll have to come up with some new excuses. (Go Heat!)

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  • tones, characters, and aspirins

    Our friends gave us a very humorous article from the Guardian about what it’s like to learn Chinese.  I found it online and wanted to share it with you, dear readers.  It’s called Empire of Signs. I have to agree with Ed Lanifranco’s sentiments in the article when he says, "If I were emperor of…

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  • cool, daddy-o

    Today is Father’s Day.  This is a paradox because there is no such thing as Father’s Day in China.  And in America, it is not yet the 18th of June…so techinically it’s not Father’s Day at all. Oh well, we’ve celebrated it already on our side of the world… The girls picked out and gave…

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  • temptation

    This week I was posed with a moral dilemma.  The NBA Finals is being televised here on Chinese television (CCTV 5).  Great news, right?! Wrong. The time difference between China and America (east coast) is 12 hours.  This means that most of the games are on at 9 a.m. (weekdays) here in Xining.  Most of…

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  • an english lesson…

    Last week when we had visitors we went to a Tibetan restaurant here in town called the Black Tent.  We’ve been there a few times and enjoy the food and atmosphere.  The servers there are very friendly. But when foreigners come they usually seem unsure of what language to use.  They often start in English,…

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  • the teddy bear fairies came…

    as I slept. The pink comforter was a nice touch don’t you think?

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  • home alone?

    You may have heard the rumors…and I’m here to tell you–they’re true!  During the month of July Christa, Anna, and Sarah will all be returning to the Seattle area for a visit. If you do the math, this leaves yours truly in Xining….HOME ALONE!!! Shocking, I know. This was not an easy decision for Christa…

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  • if my kids were tele-tubbies…

    …they’d look something like this… (scary, huh?)     p.s. just so you know, I didn’t initiate these photo maniuplations…our friends from FL were responsible for this!

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