Day Trip to Tianjin

Located about 135 kilometers southeast of Beijing, Tianjin is often thought of as the capital's sister city. When Scott told a colleague we were visiting there, he was told we'd like it, because "white people like that city."

Things white people like in Tianjin: A house made out of recycled pottery. 

Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring

We recently visited Kunming, which is the capital of the Yunnan province, in southwest China. The area is known for its dozens of minorities, who dress in colorful garb, and for its fabulous food, which doesn't taste anything like traditional Chinese -- think fresh mint leaf salads, dried beef with chilies and a lightly fried goat milk cheese called rubing.

Outside of Kunming, Shilin (Stone Forest)

Our New Nephew

A few weeks ago, Scott's sister Courtney gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Shaw. He weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces and was a whopping 22 inches long!

Welcome little Shaw! 

These are a Few of My Favorite (Chinese) Sayings

We're eight months into Chinese lessons and some days I feel I'm getting the hang of it, while other days I hear a conversation and don't recognize a single word. That said, I've learned some great phrases that nail the meaning of some things better than English words. Here are a few of my favorites:

Dan xin -- To worry. Dan mean burden and xin means heart, so if you worry, you have a burdened heart. So true.