Mewwitt
Merritt Wilson Joined: November 12th 2006
Logged in: January 27th 2012
Logged in: January 27th 2012
Travel Blog Posts
Everything Grown in the USA!
As I cycled through the quiet streets of my parents' community near Phoenix, Arizona something felt off. I ran through a quick checklist in my mind. Brakes work? Check. Mirror adjusted properly? Check. Using the appropriate gear? Check. Then it hit me. As I gazed across the wide boulevard, the White Tank mountains visible on the horizon, there was nary a person to be seen. It was just me, pedaling solo, alone with my thoughts. Where were all the people? Where was the crush of humanity that ebbed and flowed around me as I wound my way through the streets of Beijing? It was eerie, strange, disconcerting....and wonderful. This would be the first of many lessons learned while adjusting back to life in the USA. It's a curious thing, really, getting reacquainted with the culture of ... read more
In case we weren't sure
The countdown has begun. In four days, I will board a plane bound for the United States to celebrate Christmas with my parents, brother and extended family. In contrast to years past, however, this year I will not return to China. This year, my trip to the U.S. will be a permanent stay. After four years spent studying the Chinese language and culture, gaining professional experience and traveling all over China and southeast Asia, it is time to return to the motherland. It is time to go home. "Home". Now, there is an interesting concept. I'm not entirely sure where 'home' is anymore. Is it back in the country of my birth, a place where I have not lived for four years? Is it here in Beijing, a place where I have put down roots? Is ... read more
Bangkok Food Market
Beijing is not the world's most beautiful city. There isn't much nearby in the way of natural scenery, apart from the mountains to the north and west (though those are often obscured by the thick layer of "fog" that is perpetually decorating the city skyline). The bitter cold of winter, choking dust of spring and stifling heat of summer leave much to be desired. But then there's the fall. This most glorious of seasons brings us crystal blue skies, puffy white clouds and a gentle breeze that tickles the senses. So, it makes perfect sense that it is during this most magnificent time of the year that Beijingers escape the city in mass exodus to countryside hometowns and tropical oases in neighboring Asian countries. It's China's birthday. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the government gifts us ... read more
Liquid courage before the performance
As a child, I made my brother believe that if we could dig a hole that was deep enough, we could tunnel our way through the core of the earth all the way to China. (I also made him believe that if he could swing high enough on our backyard swing set he could fly to heaven and that my bedroom closet was an elevator, but that is beside the point). We spent many hours happily and fruitlessly digging in the backyard (okay, he spent many hours digging while I "supervised"), making sure to cover up our handiwork any time one of the parental units came to check on us. Come to think of it, I am quite impressed that neither of us ever fell in the gigantic hole cleverly disguised as a leaf pile ... read more
My New Ride
Once upon a time, there was a young woman fair with golden hair and green eyes. She had been living in the Middle Kingdom for nearly four years and had decided it was time for a lifestyle upgrade. No more was she content to ride the subway or take the bus to her destination. She had realized that there was so much more to see and experience in her kingdom than the sweaty rush hour crush of humanity on Line 10. So she decided to buy an electric scooter. She began her search at a local electric scooter shop in her neighborhood, per the recommendation of one of "the family" (as her close group of friends in the kingdom were known). The door to the shop was open and so she walked right in. There were ... read more
Last night was another teeth-rattling ride home from the office. The outer edge of Typhoon Muifa, which has been pounding the Philippines and China's eastern coastline, roared into Beijing yesterday afternoon with a vengeance. Similar to our last adventure with water in China's capital city, the skies over Fengtai district ominously darkened and the winds picked up just around quitting time. It was starting to sprinkle as I exited the office, our shuttle driver vigorously flapping his arms in my direction to encourage me to pick up the pace. Sidebar: Our driver is a curious fellow. Obviously born and raised in the countryside, his accent can be difficult for me to understand, which is unfortunate because he loves to impart useful advice to me on the ride home, such as suggesting that I should steal wifi ... read more
Reunited with my piano in Madison
I am experiencing serious dairy withdrawal. I just returned to Beijing after three wonderful weeks spent in America's Dairyland (also known as Madison, Wisconsin). My pangs of longing for dill cheese curds, Chocolate Shoppe ice cream and skim milk cannot be satiated with the processed American singles and freezer-burned ice milk found on the shelves of Beijing's imported food stores. This is an affliction that can only be truly understood by those who have had the fortune of tasting the exquisite gastronomy of Wisconsin. Am I being too dramatic? I say nay . . . Per usual, my annual pilgrimage to the American midwest passed by in a flash. Relaxing Saturday mornings spent strolling languidly around the Capital square tasting fresh produce and cheeses at the farmers' market have been replaced with crowded grocery stores testing ... read more
Standing in knee-deep water during a lightning storm? Great idea.
It was becoming increasingly dark and menacing as storm clouds rolled into the skies over Beijing. A light rain was falling and the wind was picking up. Every few moments, someone in the office looked up to stare out the window at the wild scene that was only getting wilder as the minutes ticked by. It was Thursday afternoon around 4:30 PM and many of us were racing to meet looming deadlines, but the crazy weather outside our mostly window-filled office was unbelievable. Soon most of my coworkers had plastered their faces against the window panes to stare out at the black sky and sheets of rain flying violently sideways. A veteran of years of tornado seasons, I was just about to warn them to stay away from the windows when there was a mighty crash ... read more
Company Teambuilding Weekend
Last Thursday started out like any other day. There was no reason to suspect that it would be any different from, say, Tuesday or Wednesday. I had a full work day ahead of me, including a field trip from my office in the southwestern cornfields of Beijing to the Central Business District. As usual, I left my castle to catch the morning shuttle to the office with barely a moment to spare, locking the interior door in a hurry and slamming the exterior security door behind me as I dashed to the elevator lobby. As the door clanged shut, I heard a strange metallic sound echo from between the doors, but I had no time to ponder the source of the noise in my haste to make it to the shuttle on time. As soon as ... read more
If there's one thing I can say about living in Beijing, it's that life is never boring. That fact was grandly illustrated yesterday when I took advantage of Beijing's rapidly expanding public transportation system. This weekend is a national holiday in China, recognizing International Labor Day, which is May 1st. I spent a leisurely Sunday morning reading the morning's headlines and then meeting the family for brunch. It was a gorgeous blue sky day with a light breeze and made for a pleasant early afternoon outside. At four o'clock, I arrived at Wangfujing Catholic church for the hour-long mass. Afterwards, I sauntered along Wangfujing pedestrian street, chatting with a friend from church, Steve, as we made our way back to the subway. That was when it got interesting. For the past four years, I have not ... read more
