Getting ready for the total solar eclipse

I have a vague memory of being a kid at school and going outside during class time to witness a solar eclipse. But other than that fuzzy moment, I’ve never witnessed a solar eclipse before.You might imagine then the sense of excitement I have about this Wednesday, July 22, when the longest total solar eclipse …

Holiday Fu’s Suzhou City Guide

Iain Manley, editor of City Weekend‘s relatively new Holiday Fu, has just put together an excellent city guide for Suzhou. Most all the large travel portals give Suzhou a mention, but Iain’s writeup is full of a wit and insight that makes it a fun and informative read, even for this laowai that has called …

16 Candles x 2 = Some Serious Wax

So, it’s my birthday — and shaping up to be one of the best ones I’ve had in years. As mentioned in the previous post, my best friend Cory arrives from Canada today for his first visit to China. I leave in a couple hours to grab the shuttle from Suzhou to the Shanghai Pudong …

Summertime and the livin’s easy

So summer’s definitely here – I know this because when I’m outside for more than a few minutes everything gets blurry and my skin starts to melt. I’m Canadian — +40°C weather is something for fairytales of where the old folks go come winter. Of course it’s the perfect time to take a holiday and …

Green Dam bursts under netizen pressure

I had meant to post this yesterday when I learned of it, but having my nation’s birthday to celebrate proved too much of a distraction–apologies. So, if you’ve not yet heard, Green Dam Youth Escort appears to be dead. What was, as of July 1, to be mandatory censorship software installed on all new computers …

Proud to be a Canadian (expat)

I love Canada, I truly do. For all the grief that myself and my fellow compatriots give the country, it really is top shelf as countries go. Sure, it’s a bit vanilla when it comes to foreign affairs and global influence; a bit archaic when it comes to political makeup; and, well, a bit cold. …