CHINA IS CALLING

Earthquake in Southwest China

2008-05-13T00:58:00.003-05:00

As many of you have already heard and read, there was a devastating Earthquake in Southwest China Monday afternoon. The epicenter of the quake was in Sichuan province but a smaller tremor was felt all the way up here in Beijing. It was a very strange sensation as I felt myself subtly begin to sway. As we stood up to figure out what was going on, it was clear that the whole building was swaying. We quickly left the building and waited outside. Eventually, we were sent home. All in all it was a very minor disruption here in Beijing, but of course, down south in Sichuan, people are experiencing extreme devastation. Just one week earlier, I was traveling in that region with my dad and stepmom. And it is disheartening to be reminded how everything can change in an instant. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the quake.

Just Cuz...

2008-03-27T21:33:00.005-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from New Year's Day with Almost all of my best friends represented.

(From left Ms. Heather Talley, Mrs. Ana Allen, Ms. Isabelle Guzman, myself, Ms. Sarah Almond, you can also see Rose the Hound Dog there on the left)

It was an amazing day, as all my girls came out to my Dad and Anne's house and we proceeded to welcome in the New Year by chowing down on one of the best meals ever conceived and created: Pork Chops pan fried in butter, Collard Greens with Balsamic, Black Eyed Peas, Home-made Apple sauce along with Corn Bread and Biscuits. This meal will never be forgotten but hopefully repeated.

Here's a little info just for fun.

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Receptionist at my mom's law practice (age 8-13)
2. Cashier, Zell's Ace Hardware (age 18)
3. Banquet Server, Grove Park Inn (age 20)
4. YMCA Day Camp Counselor (age 20)

Four movies I would watch over and over
1) Lost in Translation
2) Say Anything
3) The Bourne Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum (I know, that's actually 3, sorry)
4) Top Gun

Four places I have lived:
1) Paris, France
2) New York, NY
3) Asheville, NC
4) Columbia, SC

Four Places I have been:
1) Marlborough, New Zealand
2) Upolu, Western Samoa
3) Budapest, Hungary
4) Jupiter, NC

Four people who e-mail me regularly :
1) Mom (because now she has a BlackBerry and she oozes technology)
2) Lynn
3) Heather
4) many others sporadically

Four of my favorite foods:
1) Spaghetti and Meatballs (with a glass of milk-it's a childhood thing)
2) Gong Bao Ji Ding (which is the real chinese version of Kung Pao Chicken-I'm 'bout to go eat some right now)
3) Chocolate Cake
4) and basically anything made by my Mom, my Grandmother, my Dad, Sarah Almond, Lynn Andriani, Heather Talley, Isabelle Guzman, Traci Magnus, Jennifer Bryan...my Step-Mom and Step-Dad are also really amazing cooks, I hope I didn't leave anyone out!

Four places I would rather be right now:
Being here is pretty good for me right now, so I'll rename this one Four places I would also enjoy right now:
1) In the woods
2) On an island beach with blue skies and sunshine
3) With my friends and family
4) In Love

Four friends I think will respond:
1) Heather
2) Ana
3) Lynn
4) Rory

Four things I look forward to:
1) This weekend
2) Having children
3) My next big trip
4) A phat job offer

If you interested send me your answers and add more fun questions.

Peace, Love and Kung Fu

2008-03-20T21:01:00.004-05:00

Pictured here with my good friend Rory Zimmerman of ATL! Holla!

Here's a quick look at the new apartment

2008-03-20T20:57:00.004-05:00

We were having a party so all of the furniture was pushed out of the way. It is beautiful and comfortable! I love it.

Sorry for the delay...

2008-03-13T04:54:00.003-05:00

Ok, everyone. So sorry for the delay. Needless, to say, I have been busy over the past few months or basically since I landed back in Beijing. Between moving into a new apartment and starting my internship at Apple and balancing the spectacular social offerings, I haven't had much time for self reflection. But I just want to share that everything is great. Really, really, amazingly wonderful. My job is interesting and challenging and I'm meeting new people all the time. I have to opportunity to interact with Chinese co-workers so this is helping to improve my rather imperfect Chinese language skills.

I've moved into a new, amazing apartment that I absolutely love and feel completely home in. The complex is called Sunshine 100 and that is a fitting name. The apartment itself is great with nice light, good furnishings, 2 bathrooms and a great kitchen. The location just adds to it all. We have conveniences in every direction from multiple grocery stores (with cheese) and a variety of coffee shops and cafes to gyms and restaurants including sushi, thai, italian, chinese, of course, and basically anything one could want to eat within walking, short taxi or delivery distance. (I will post photos soon.)

Ok, that's it. I'm out.
Also, the weather is turning...and as in all cold, northern locations...and in Beijing especially...that is a beautiful thing.
Come on Spring.

Goodbye Thomas

2008-02-23T22:28:00.004-05:00

My cat Thomas passed away last week so I just wanted to take a moment to recount some of his best moments and his favorite things . Most of you had either known him yourself or listened to me describe his many virtues. He was an amazing animal. Completely intuitive, intelligent and independent. And I say that in all seriousness. He could completely communicate what he wanted and knew what was going on with the people around him. If his bowl was empty, he would attack your leg as if to say, don't leave, I'll starve. And if you were upset, he would quietly keep you company. In one of my apartments, he came and went through a cat door set up in a window. One night around 3 in the morning he arrived with a live rabbit and presented it to me on my bed. When he let go of it all hell broke loose as I chased the terrified creature around my apartment in order to set him free again. He was quite a hunter and resourceful in other ways. I remember him, when he was still pretty small, jumping into the kitchen trash can and jumping back out with a pork chop bone in his mouth, which was about the size of his body. When I moved to New York, he went to live with my mom and John in Florida, as I knew he would never be happy as a house cat. They quickly fell in love as well and took great care of him. All my thanks to them. So here are some of Thomas' favorite things: Fresh water (daily), pounce of any flavor, hunting on a cool spring night, licking ice cream or yogurt from a spoon, scratching behind the ears, napping undisturbed for hours on end, and generally getting what he wants. I have never felt as connected to an animal as I did to Thomas. Although he had not lived with me for a few years now, each time I went home he would welcome me back and sleep with me almost everynight I was there. I loved him very much and will miss him greatly. We remember him fondly and adoringly. Goodbye Thomas.

USA

2008-01-27T18:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving in China: Part I

2007-12-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

Of all the many blessings I've received this year, I was particularly Thankful for a visit from my good friends Lynn and Heather during the Thanksgiving Holiday. This is part one in a two part series documenting our fun!
P.S. Right now, I'm actually in the US for Xmas. Merry Christmas everybody!

All the fixin's:
A very international crowd of 17 people...whew!...cooking for that many was a challenge!
Lynn, me, Heather:
Rickshaw ride through a Hutong:
Our ever entertaining guides:

Sweet and sour fish, so delicious with an amazing presentation:
Blown sugar figurines, Heather was in awe!

Interesting art exhibit in 798 district of Beijing: No Foreigners Beyond This Point...Oops.
Ladies that Lunch...

Seoul's got Soul!

2007-10-30T02:21:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of October all of China is on vacation, so I took the opportunity to jump over to Seoul and visit my girl Barbara (friend's since we were 11 years old). She is working there as a University English teacher. We had an amazing time and I now love Seoul!

For those of you that don't know, all Asians make peace signs with their hands in pictures...so when in Rome...

Barbara and her friend Tom at an interesting little museum tucked into the hills of Itaewon-a neighborhood in Seoul.
This funky bar serves drinks in plastic bags.

More amazing street food...
Outside the royal palace.
At Dr. Fish Cafe, one is able to enjoy a beverage while having their feet nibbled by small fish...how bizarre, and so ticklish!
This place is famous for eating fried fish while sipping makgeolli (a delicious rice alcohol).

Oh...and everyone...let me know you've been here by leaving me a comment. Click on the comments link below. Take care. Love, Sarah

Yo, I'm 30!

2007-09-06T21:24:00.003-05:00

Luckily, Miz. Almond came all the way to freakin' China to help me celebrate!

Here we are with Mao...
With one of the many groups of Chinese tourists that wanted to take a photo with us that day...just because we aren't Chinese.

Chillin' in the Forbidden City...
Stlyin' on The Great Wall...
Posin' with Chinese Jack White...(we met him at the Beijing Pop Music Festival)

And generally being crazy!

Yunnan Province, China

2007-09-06T21:24:00.001-05:00

Sweet little town of Lijiang...ancient and walled with canals along the way.

2 day trek in Tiger Leaping Gorge...we begin our ascent.

After about 6 hours of hiking...up...we made it to Halfway Guest House.
This was the view from the bathroom.

Vietnam

2007-09-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

Once we got to Vietnam, my travel companions and I went our separate ways....I took a bus into Hoh Chi Minh City.
But I immediately met an amazing young Australian woman named Lynsey, who I must have known in another life or something...we proceeded to high tail it out of the city and straight to the beach. We then made a slow ascent up the coast of Vietnam.

Motorbikes, motorbikes...so much fun!

Night train to Hanoi!
Once in Hanoi, Arturo met back up with us and we all went on a 3 day cruise in Halong Bay.

This one manages to sleep anywhere!
Life is so hard on the boat.

Next and final stop was in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam. Arturo and I rented a motorcycle and rode through the mountains meeting the amazing H'mong people.

Cambodia

2007-09-06T21:23:00.001-05:00

Thailand

2007-08-31T07:03:00.000-05:00

On July 18th, I flew to Bangkok with 4 friends (Andrea, Arturo, Baptiste and Mathieu). Here are a few photos from our time in Thailand. Future entries will include Cambodia, Vietnam and Southern China.

Then to Koh Samui and the island life...

The view from my hut...ahhhh

Suddenly there were elephants in the street...
In the back of our Jeep! How many people can you fit in a Tuk Tuk?

Goodbye Koh Samui

Zai Zai Beijing!

2007-08-28T03:28:00.000-05:00

Hello all. I just got home today. Please stay tuned for amazing photos!
Love,
Sarah

Sarah Almond is gettin' hitched!!

2007-07-18T03:09:00.000-05:00

My girl Sarah has gotten herself engaged to a wonderful man!! Congratulations! And I'm the Maid of Honor...Whoohooo!! Don't worry ladies, I'll throw a damn good party.

Ok, gotta fly to Bangkok now. Later.

School is out for Summer!!!

2007-07-06T01:41:00.001-05:00

I'm flying to Bangkok in less than 2 weeks!!! One Way...

Sleeping on the Great Wall: Part I and II

2007-06-28T05:05:00.000-05:00

During the past month, I have had the opportunity to spend the night on the Great Wall twice. Both trips were full of adventure and very relaxing. Part I can be found at the end of this post, here is Part II:

I took off on my 2nd trip to spend the night on the wall with 7 other students. We hired a driver and van to take us 3 hours outside of the city to a section of the wall that is literally in ruins: Jiankou. We climbed up and over crumbling sections of the wall that most people never have the chance to visit. It was beautiful and amazing.

And we're off like a herd of turtles (as my grandfather would say!):

Here we are:

We need wood for the fire, Wang Shifu negotiates a good price:

Here we go:

Our first look at the wall:

A few of us take off to investigate by climbing up this steep and crumbling section of the wall:

We decide to stop here:

Rory of Atlanta, Ga:

Les Francais, Baptiste and Gael:Prunelle (France) and Andrea (Mexico):

Arturo (Mexico):

Nestor (Mexico):

More climbing:

Dancin' on the Wall:

Saucisson and Red Wine:

All the campers:

Sunrise:

Me sleeping on the wall:

Everyone still sleeping:

Part I:

The first excursion to spend the night on the wall was begun just as the sun was going down. We could have planned a little better. We arrived at Simatai around 7pm.

Then we had to talk these guys into letting us go up.

Even after dark, it was very hot and the climb was quite steep.

But once we got to a nice spot, it was all worth it. We drank some wine, listened to music and looked up at the stars and of course, waking up at sunrise was beautiful.

In the light of day, it was apparent just how steep the wall is at this particular section.

From left: Murilo (Brazil), Jonathan (France), Me, Malte (Germany by way of Pennsylvania) and Adrian in the front (Romania).

Party Animals

2007-06-12T03:19:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we went to a little play at a school theater only to find the latest copy of City Weekend's 2007 Restaurant and Bar Guide. While randomly flipping through the pages, what did we find:

Hilarious! How did this happen?

Unrecognizable

2007-06-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

I have now been in China for almost 4 months. It is at this point that my cultural adjustment is the most tangible and recognizable. I can look back and see my process of integration.

During the past 4 months, I've experienced 3 major states: (1) Wow....China, (2) Damn China!, (3) This is China. Right now I am continually bouncing between all three.

It is also startling and remarkable to be surrounded by people, things and places that are unrecognizable. I, as a result, am unrecognizable. At times, this is particularly uncomfortable. But it is also in this state that one is able to discover new aspects of ourselves. So that is where I am: unrecognizable to everything and everyone around me and at times, unrecognizable to myself. Let it Go, So it goes, Let's us Grow.

Lost in China

2007-05-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

Last week I returned from a 10 day voyage to the south of China. I traveled with Andrea and Baptiste to Guilin and Yangshuo, in the Guangxi province. It was a great trip, filled with all the ups and downs that international travel (on a budget) provides. Here is a small sample of the sights we saw:

Silly girls.

Red bean rice. Delicious.

Our boat ride down the Ling Canal, built in 219 BC.

River trip from Guilin to Yangshuo, down the Li River.

The dramatic limestone peaks surrounding Yangshuo. Beautiful.

Another boat trip, this time on a bamboo raft.

I made an attempt to guide our raft...it is really hard. Can anyone say night bus? These little bunks were smaller than one would imagine. I could barely fold myself in. Although, this was a much more comfortable ride than the 20 hours back to Beijing we spent in a hard seat, which means sitting up and being very crowded for 20 hours. I would not recommend it. Hence, no photos.

On the way back we made a stop in Yichang to see The Three Gorges Dam, the largest HydroElectric Project in the World. There are a couple of fishermen in the bottom right hand corner, check them out for perspective on how big this dam really is.

Bye!

Life in Beijing

2007-04-20T07:40:00.000-05:00

When I decided to come to Beijing, I had no idea what to expect. I imagined that I would spend a lot of time alone, contemplating life, learning Chinese and taking in the foreignness of it all. I even had to defend my decision on countless occasions as people asked, "Why do you want to go to China?"

Well, every image I had about life in China was wrong. I should have expected that a city of 14 million people would have a lot to offer, not to mention all of the other international students I would have the opportunity to meet.

Last week alone was full of a variety of musical and social events: I went to see the Roots (if you know this group then you know how spectacular it was to see them in China, it was an amazing show), we threw a birthday party, also saw the London Symphony Orchestra and there were house parties both Friday and Saturday night. I actually have to find time to be alone. So like I said, not what I imagined life in Beijing would be. Anyway, all of this is to say that Beijing is fun, really, really fun. Here's to China!

Ladies night:

Dinner in a Chinese Hutong:

My attempt to play a strange, traditional Chinese instrument:

The Great Wall

2007-04-05T05:34:00.000-05:00

In China, it is said that you are not a man until you walk on The Great Wall. So, I am now a man. Last Saturday, our school took us on a group trip to a section of the wall about 1 1/2 outside of Beijing. It was a beautiful day.

My new friends, Andrea (Mexico) and Baptiste (France):

It goes on forever:

This is a steep section up to a watch tower:

You can see how rocky the terrain is around the wall:

These are my classmates, representing Thailand, Mongolia, Mexico, France and America:

It was a pretty intense hike up a steep section of steps to get to the wall. Luckily, they built a slide back down (it was awesome!):

Nestor displaying his new wares from the tourist shops at the bottom of the wall:

Exhausted!

Floating

2007-03-27T03:04:00.000-05:00

Today marks 4 weeks in and I feel like I'm floating. A routine is beginning to develop around classes, lunch with classmates, studying and finding language partners, but I'm still waking up each day thinking, "Is this my life?" It doesn't feel real or maybe it just doesn't feel normal yet. I'll let you know as time goes by.

In any case, there has been amazing scenery and experiences around every corner. Trying to explain index cards to the swarm of salespeople at the store was interesting. It involved being lead over to the electronics section where the electronic translators were pulled out to ask me all sorts of questions, such as "What are they used for?" How do you explain "flashcards" in Chinese when you don't actually speak Chinese? That trip was unsuccessful.

On the other hand, I can successfully navigate my way around the city in taxis. This involves showing the driver where I need to go either on a map or in a guide book that has the address written in Chinese. I then make my way back home with the crumpled up piece of paper that has my address written on it. I need to get that laminated immediately. Only every once in a while am I shooed away for who knows what reason...but there is always another taxi to be found. When it is clear that the driver is asking me what route I'd like him to take, I just say, "Dui." "Right." This works pretty well.

Here are a few of the latest shots:

Closing up the market:

A Doorway in traditional Hutong neighborhood:

A fork in the road:

Near the Forbidden City at Sunset:

Inside the Forbidden City:

Just outside the walls of the Forbidden City:

First China Pics and Barbara in Beijing

2007-03-16T06:32:00.000-05:00

So I figured out how to adjust the picture size so that I can upoad them on this slow internet connection. In any case, I have so many wonderful pictures already and it has only been 2 weeks. My friend Barbara (from high school) is living in Korea right now and she had to leave the country in order to get a new visa, so she came to Beijing. Just two weeks in and I already had a visitor. It was great. Here are a few images from our adventures.

Lamb kebas, yummy! Our neighborhood at sunset:

Sea Urchin anyone?

Wangfujing, otherwise known as crazy food on a stick place:

Barbara eating a locust. I tried it too, the shell just kind of gets stuck in your teeth.

So many bikes: Picking Barbara up from the airport, this was the scene on the departures level:

This is the Toll booth, very decorative:

Temple of Heaven:

Out to lunch with our crazy, awesome Landlord (she only speaks Chinese):

My first two fake bag purchases, one Gucci, one Chloe:

And we're back...

2007-03-07T23:45:00.000-05:00

After more than a week sans internet, I've been feeling a little disconnected...and many of you have been wondering where the hell I am. Unfortunately, the internet connection here in China leaves much to be desired and I am unable to upload any photos (as of yet) but luckily I've inserted links to a few videos that Stephanie and Adrian have taken. So here we go, a first look at China...

The packing process was arduous. Trying to determine what to take for an 18 month sojourn in a far away place with no real knowledge of what to expect there was challenging. In the end, I said, "The heck with it, I'm taking an extra bag." The $85 charge was well worth it.
Although, my original flight was canceled due to snow in Chicago, I arrived in Beijing one day later with no problem. We were met by the Abroad China staff (basically our liaison on the ground) and driven to a comfortable hotel near our school. It felt very luxurious compared to my other international adventures which involved arriving in a foreign place, haphazardly navigating my way into the city only to sleep in a shady little dive. Perhaps those days are over.

The first night we randomly chose a restaurant close to our hotel called the Big Wave and it turned out to be an amazing meal...the first of many. The next day China Abroad had made arrangements for apartment viewings and by the end of the day we had secured the most beautiful apartment I've ever had. I was waffling between a lot of different options until we saw this place...Stephanie, Adrian and I snatched it up immediately. It was amazing to find an apartment on the first day. God Bless agents and the fees we pay them. Check out this video, directed by Stephanie...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ9kohC3xT0

The rest of the week was spent making trips to Ikea on Friday and Carrefour on Saturday (which I would not recommend. Shopping on a rainy Saturday in China proved to be more than I could take...people were everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming. I vowed never to go shopping on the weekend again.) Here is the proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCecZXVN0rA

Here's an interesting story: On Saturday morning, after a long night of dancing (and therefore drinking) I woke up to a muffled banging. I thought, "Is that someone at our door?" I got up to check and in fact, there were a few people knocking. As I struggled with the door (we have two front doors?) Adrian got up as well. We opened the door to find three Chinese faces staring back at us, speaking loudly in Chinese. Remember we were in our pyjamas and a little hungover. Luckily, Stephanie heard the commotion and got up to assist us. We quickly learned that the older lady was our landlord and she came in. We all thought she was there to handle some last minute details and then she would move on. In fact, she had a lot more information to impart, including, but not limited to, an 8 step process for improving and maintaining our health, which brands to buy, when we should go to bed, not to use hair dryers, the list goes on. She also demonstrated her flexibility by doing a split on the floor and performing an entire Tai Chi routine...she is 70 years old. Before we knew it, she had been there for 3 hours. The next day she took us out to lunch and demonstrated how to eat a pigeon head.

By Tuesday, we were on our way to get our residence permit with our landlord. This was an interesting process that involved accompanying our landlord along with someone from the management office of our compound to the police station. Everything in China is a matter of "guanxi" or personal connections. So this trip involved going to see someone's "friend" in order to obtain residence permits without the landlord (or us) having to pay taxes. For us it was just another outing. Here is a video of the exercise machines that can be found all over the city. For us Westerners, it's a playground for adults and I love them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbeF-ESlREY

That's all I got for now. I hope to update more often and add a lot of photos. At this point, my first impressions of China are the scent of diesel and cigarettes, skyscrapers, cranes and construction alongside horse drawn vegetable carts, 15 minute taxi rides that are cheaper than one subway ride in NYC, my new fake Gucci bag, street side lamb kababs for 1 kuai (about 12 cents), more food than you can eat at a very nice sit down restaurant for no more than $10 per person, babies in split pants and women doing Tai Chi in the courtyard downstairs.

Moving and St. Augustine

2007-02-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

Quick update:
So I successfully moved out of Columbia in two pick up trucks with the help of my dad and uncle Frenchy. I wish I had taken a picture of the two trucks backed up to my house as well as my dad and uncle wrapping my red saucer shaped 70's chair in black plastic. It was a pretty funny sight. They made the move so easy.

I then headed down to the big city of Zepherhills, FL to visit with my dad's other brother, Tony and some other relatives. My grandfather's sister, Dova, lives there as well. She's 101 years old and this is the joke she told me: A woman threw a piece of gum out the window of her car. She said, "I know that piece of gum is going to heaven." Her friend asked, "How do you know it is going to heaven?" She replied, "Because I chewed the hell out of it."

Right now I'm spending a couple of days with my mom and step-dad in St. Augustine (the nation's oldest city) at the Casa Monica Hotel. It's gorgeous and the weather has been spectacular. Unfortunately, my camera battery ran out...but last night we ate an amazing meal at 95 Cordova, the Hotel restaurant. And I just got back from another great meal at La Pentola. If you're ever in St. Augustine, check out any and all of these hot spots.

The Big Chill Reunion

2007-02-13T22:16:00.000-05:00

My latest rendez-vous before departure involved heading down to Jennifer and Jason's sweet little spot on the Edisto River (see link to Carolina Heritage for canoeing opportunities). The attendees included myself and Isabelle, The Magnus Clan (Traci, Glenn, and Max), The Bremer's (Jennifer, Jason and Eden) and The Crowley's (Melanie, Chris and Graham). Without a doubt, a great group. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Auntie Bella with Eden and Graham:

The Magnus Men:

Just a little krumping before lunch:

Max learning how to smile on command:

All the ladies in the kitchen:

There we go: This is my train to China:
Thank goodness for girlfriends!

For info on The Big Chill reference, click here: The Big Chill

Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the food: we had burgers on the grill wrapped in bacon, cole slaw, lentil salad, and proseco with fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh lemonade. We know how to eat!

Beijing's Bad Translations

2007-02-05T18:33:00.000-05:00

On the front page of today's Wall Street Journal, the headline reads, "Tired of Laughter, Beijing Gets Rid Of Bad Translations." Apparently, in preparation for the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese government has decided that "Show mercy to the slender grass" or "Please do not spit too loud" is no longer acceptable. Dang! Wish they'd hold out a little longer.

Luckily, http://chinglish.de/ , http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6054726.stm, gives us a variety of chinglish translations.

Oh and Sarah just hooked it up and told me about this site, www.engrish.com.

Lost in the Garden of Eden

2007-02-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

On a whim, I went back down to Charleston on Friday to see my friend Jennifer and her son Eden. He is 7 months old and pretty much a butter ball with a smile that will melt the coldest of hearts. Anyway, it was great. I met Jen at Fast and French, on Broad Street between King and Meeting streets. Jen worked there many years ago when she lived in Charleston and she is still very close with the owners. We enjoyed a garden salad and the cheese and pate plate. Tout a fait parfait (insert accents where appropriate).

Then we strolled over to the battery, relaxed in the mid afternoon sun and giggled at the baby.

After that it seemed appropriate to go back to Fast and French for a coffee and some chocolate mousse cake. Jen's friend Melanie came to meet us too. Melanie's husband, Chris Crowley is the owner/operator of Coastal Expeditions, a sea kayaking outfit focused on preservation and environmental education. Going out on the water with them is a truely fantastic experience. Jen and Jason just moved down from NYC to take over one of Chris' other endeavors, Carolina Heritage, a canoeing on the Edisto River and they also have treehouses that you can sleep in. I'll be down there next weekend so I'll add some pictures.

Once we finished our coffee and dessert, we headed over to the City Gallery at Waterfront Park to the opening of "The Changing face of Charleston" Exhibition. The owners of Fast and French, Gwylene and Jean-Marie, had a couple of pieces in the show. Jen and Melanie saw many familiar faces and there were even a few people that I knew as well. It was a great exhibit and I was reminded why openings are so great, free appetizers, free wine and some interesting art and people. I'll be sure find good gallerys in Beijing.

The next morning was spent relaxing over coffee:

I stopped at Traci's house for lunch on my way back out of town. Pictures of the Magnus clan will soon be put in the mix.

Me speeka chineee!!

2007-02-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

Sometime last week we created our first monologue in Chinese and Adrian recorded them, click on the link below to see my video. I know it's pretty rough, but bear with me...I'll get better. You can go to his website to see everyone (akilliano.blogspot.com) as well as our TA and I racing to see who can count faster, me in English or her in Chinese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qP-fLXwfec

Weekend in Charleston

2007-01-30T15:18:00.000-05:00

Here is the first installment in a series of final family visits before I take off. This past weekend my Dad, stepmom, and I went to Charleston, SC. We ate fabulous food, drank spectacular wine and enjoyed beautiful scenery.

Our first night in town we ate at Fish, on King Street. They specialize in local, seasonal seafood with fresh herbs. Here are a few things we had:

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES - spicy red sesame aioli

SHRIMP TEMPURA - veggies, sweet and sour blood orange

GROUPER - stewed okra, plantation rice, black eyed pea relish

But the absolute best part of the meal and one of the best wines I've ever had was the Tempranillo, Multus "Crianza" - Rioja 2001. It was great. Light with a full flavor, went down smooth. Seek it out.

On Saturday night, we went to Coast on John Street, another fabulous meal! By the way, Tonisha gets mad props for these restaurant recommendations.

This is the Lobster tail poached in butter with a balsamic hollandaise sauce (we ordered two!) I talked my dad into trying the ALBARINO, VIONTA, RIAS BAIXAS, '04. I love an albarino, it's a spicy white wine. Yum!

Testing 123

2007-01-28T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hello.

I am now a blogger. As I prepare to depart for Beijing, China (exactly 4 weeks from today), I've decided I, too, will begin to blog. Maybe you're interested, maybe you're not but here it is all the same. Over the next few months, I plan to post photos and descriptions about my experiences in China and beyond.

More soon to come.