• I’m spending the first few days of March visiting my family in Philadelphia, which means I got to experience a wild winter storm on Friday. Forecasts predicted high winds and lots of rain, with a bit of snow at the tail end. Instead, heavy, wet flakes began coming down around 11am and continued until … Continue reading Weekly Wanderings: In Like a Lion Edition
LA Review of Books China Blog: Documenting Public Space in China
I haven’t been blogging much lately—life, work, and longer-term projects need to come first right now—but finally got a chance a few weeks ago to sit down and write a post for the LA Review of Books China Blog. This is one that I’d been meaning to write for months, ever since seeing two excellent … Continue reading LA Review of Books China Blog: Documenting Public Space in China
So, What’s Next?
“How’s your dissertation going?” and “So, what’s next?” are the two questions I’ve been asked the most over the past year. Now that I’m very nearly free of the first (I spent much of today dealing with paperwork to file the dissertation so my PhD can be conferred next month), here are my many responses … Continue reading So, What’s Next?
Time for a New Look
Scroll down for photos of my new purple hair, nose piercing, and panda tattoo! Just kidding. I’m not the one with a new look—though I could probably use a haircut—this website is. I decided to take some time today and finally make a few changes I’d been planning for a while. Major aspects of this … Continue reading Time for a New Look
The Circle of Mercy Is Timeless
I have not worn my high-school ring in close to fourteen years. There was a time when I never took it off: from the day I received it in March 1999, through the summer after graduation the following year, I wore it every single day, the thick gold band on my finger a weighty, comforting … Continue reading The Circle of Mercy Is Timeless
A Deluxe Apartment in the Sky
I loved a lot of things about the apartment I found on Changle Road in October 2012. It was in the heart of the French Concession, surrounded by excellent restaurants and lovely tree-lined streets. It got a ton of sunlight (too much, sometimes!) and had the biggest closets of anywhere I’ve ever lived. The couch … Continue reading A Deluxe Apartment in the Sky
LA Review of Books: The Wonderful World of Books
My latest column for the LA Review of Books China Blog is now up at their site, detailing my two visits to the Shanghai Book Fair when it was in town last month. I had expected the book expo to attract a good number of teachers, writers, academics, etc., but as I approached the Shanghai … Continue reading LA Review of Books: The Wonderful World of Books
“Marley was dead: to begin with.”
The plummy voice of Julie Andrews rings out through the Grand Court of Center City Philadelphia’s Macy’s store every hour on the hour throughout the month of December. As children (and more than a few adults) crowd for seats on the floor of the Grand Court, Andrews invites them to enjoy the Christmas Light Show, … Continue reading “Marley was dead: to begin with.”
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
It's only October 29, but Philadelphia got a good dose of snow today. Things started out rainy this morning ... But by early afternoon, it was truly snowing. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, this is only the third time since 1884 that the city has experienced a measurable snowfall in October. It's a bit bizarre … Continue reading Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
Questions and Answers
"Is it good to be home?" "Do you miss California?" "Which do you like better, the East Coast or the West?" I've heard all of these questions, each one multiple times, since I arrived in Princeton at the end of the summer after three years in Southern California. I never really know how to answer, … Continue reading Questions and Answers
