Beijing Arrival

Greetings from Beijing! It is now 5am; I am up and about from the jet lag. This is an interesting city, very similar to the old Taipei I remember as a kid. People are everywhere! There are tall & modern skyscrapers interspersed by really ancient neighborhoods with narrow alley ways (hutongs). There are new constructions everywhere as well. The city is teeming with excitement for the upcoming Olympics. Our first impression of the city was the Beijing International Airport. How impressive that was! It's got the reputation for being the largest airport in the world (so far). We're staying at a hotel near the Beijing Railroad Station. The window to my room overlooks railroad tracks. It's a bit noisy, but didn't really keep me awake. I think I was just really tired from the traveling the day before. We were trying to find a place to eat last night in the Station, but couldn't get into the building at all without a train ticket. Wow... what a sea of people there! We'll be exploring the city some more today, at least figure out the best way to roam around.

Spring, Taxes, and Beijing

Today is April 15th! Taxes are due today. I'm never good at putting things off until the last minute. So, I've actually already gotten my refund... over a month ago!

We are well into Spring here in Eastern PA. You can really begin to smell, see, hear, and taste Spring! In another week, new crisp green leaves will blanket the dry tree branchs. Tulips and daffodils are already abound. So beautiful!

In exactly one more month, I am Beijing-bound! Great Wall of China, here I come!

Kitchen, II

More pictures of the kitchen. Top 2 pictures show the new oven/range (left) and the sink with dish washer (right). To the left with Doggie is the breakfast island no more! These were confusing times for Doggie!

Kitchen

Mom's new kitchen! Gates are to rein in Miss Doggie. New ceramic tiles are very nice but cold. Roses were for me, from someone special.

Happy New Year, Part II

Happy New Year, year of rat! This is the Simpsonized me! I think I look better being a Simpson character. Doggie doesn't look anything like Santa's Little Helper; but, they don't Simpsonize pets.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! The brand new year welcomed us with blisteringly cold weather. Brrrr... It is nippy out there! We'll only get 2 days of really chilly willy weather, then it's in the 50's for the next few days. I hope the trees and bushes aren't confused again. Last winter, the cherry blossoms in Washington DC set out their blooms in January because we had a week or so of unseasonably warm weather. Enough about the weather...

It is 2008! I spent New Year's Eve roosting at home! I even missed the count-down and decided to go to bed with ear-plugs around 11! I much rather snuggle nicely in bed with a good book then sit in front of the TV watching a whole lot of nonsense. Currently finishing up Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods". It's an account of his journey through the Appalachian Trail, a hiking trail over 2100 miles stretching from Georgia to Maine. He is a terrific writer, and his narrative is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Today being January 2nd is my first day back to work after about 2 weeks break between semesters. The new semester doesn't start until January 14th (actually a week earlier this year). This also means the time to get the semester ready is shorter. So, as much as I savored each second of my break, it's good to be back to work today to be able get a couple of to-do list items checked off!

Happy 2008! May your 2008 be wonder-filled!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Here's wishing you all an awe-filled 2008!

Goodbye!

We bid farewell to "Silver" last Sunday. Silver was Mom's 240 station wagon. It was finally retired, at least by us. It is now in the possession of Purple Heart, and will hopefully get a second life after some repairs. It will now at least bring some money for a worthy cause, benefiting war veterans.

We sure had some fond memories in that car. We drove it down to Florida in 1991, to Pittsburgh and Chicago in 1993 (I was not on that trip... was interning in NYC that summer), to Cape Cod in 1999. It brought me back and forth from college and home. It moved me to West Philadelphia in 1997 and home again in 1999. M rear ended another car on the way to the airport picking up Dad. Among other trips in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, it served us well. It was sad to say goodbye to it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday is Thanksgiving! Being in academia, I got Wednesday through Friday off... a marvelous 5-day vacation! The semester is quickly coming to a close. Two more weeks after this break before the week of final exams. Then, it'll be Christmas break!

Thanksgiving is traditionally time to gather with family and friends and offer thanks to God for His many blessings. Although in the post-modern world, it's just gathering with family and friends and feasting on turkey. I will be spending my Thanksgiving with my family and friends and fitting in there giving Doggie a bath and raking leaves. I am thankful for my MANY blessings: family, friends (old and new), my job, my health, joy and contentment that could only have come from God above!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Fall

We're in the thick of fall. It is finally getting seasonably cold. For most of October, the temperature had been relatively warm. So, just this week, the leaves have finally begun to turn the beautiful gold, yellow, and red colors. It is pretty! I, for one, don't like the fall as much as I love spring. With the leaves falling, animals disappearing, birds not singing as much, and no more crickets chirping, it's kind of depressing. It's also hard not to think about the deadness of winter that is right around the corner. Yes, snow is pretty but it is few and far in between. Now, spring is what I live for when the birds sings again, the leaves burst out in majesty, and the everything is green again. There's life! Everything is seemingly new again!