In case you didn’t know, today is Buddha’s birthday. Of course, it’s not always May 17 because his birthday follows the lunar calendar. Many countries in Southeast Asia celebrate this day as a national holiday. I’m really not sure what … Continue reading
Because it’s Mother’s Day, I think this picture from Thailand belongs here, even though I can’t explain it. I figure my mom will at least get a laugh out of it. My mother has encouraged my travels (and other endeavors), … Continue reading
The May Day holiday has come and gone in China. Of course, here in America we like to celebrate our Labor Day in September…with barbecues and beer. Following my painfully long bus ride from Chengdu during my first May Day … Continue reading
Companies and schools in China seem to enjoy having outings for employees. They see it as a morale booster, even though plenty of employees see it as forced fun. I went out on a few with the schools for which … Continue reading
The Chinese New Year is upon us! It’s the year of the snake, which probably means that a lot of people in China will eat some sort of snake dish to celebrate (couldn’t do that last year with the year … Continue reading
I have a confession to make. I’m a terrible consumer. I hate shopping. Crowds are even worse. Combine all that on Black Friday and I’m ready to run and hide. I typically avoid malls or major stores between today and … Continue reading
This week was a national holiday in China, which means that millions of people spent the week traveling through the country. National holidays are notoriously crowded in China–it’s never a good idea to travel on the first or last day … Continue reading
This Sunday is Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) in China, and this year it coincides with the October 1 national holiday, which means the entire country has a week-long holiday. While I was in China, it was only a week-long holiday for … Continue reading
It was a pleasant coincidence that I booked my trip to Halifax during Canada Day celebrations. I also visited Montreal last year during a fireworks festival that I discovered while searching for things to add to my itinerary. Sometimes celebrations … Continue reading
Before booking my flight to Halifax, I wasn’t paying attention to the dates, only the days of the week. It worked out in my favor as I was in Halifax for Canada Day on July 1. The downside to being … Continue reading
It’s spring break in New Jersey–for some reason, my college’s break begins on a Friday, so anyone who has class on Fridays will have to return next Friday, thus losing out on the extra weekend that usually accompanies spring break. … Continue reading
It’s St. Patrick’s Day and the bars are already packed (at least, I assume so). The sun is shining and the spring temperatures have returned, which is a dangerous mix for a holiday that most celebrate as a reason to … Continue reading
One of the advantages of teaching at a college is that I have more vacation time. Unfortunately, I don’t work at a college that pays adjuncts well, so I have to supplement my income with other jobs, like working in … Continue reading
新年快乐！ Happy New Year to everyone celebrating the Year of the Dragon. I have a lot of fond memories of celebrating Spring Festival in China. The last I celebrated in Shenzhen involved a lot of food–fish, dumplings, and about twelve … Continue reading