China, part deux. Purchased my ticket to return to China this summer! And this year I am going to travel after teaching. We hope to go to Thailand, maybe Tibet and Nepal, take a cross-country train back thru to Beijing. see some of the wall, i hear it's great.. etc etc. ANYONE have travel tips for me? eg... how i should go from yue yang (changsha) to thailand? travel modes, routes, destinations, etc? definite do's/don'ts... Like last year, I'll stop thru SF on my way back for a few short days to visit T-N & T-J. Then make it to Texas [View Full Entry]

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I haven't seen my travel page in many moons. where have i been since october 2006... went back to NY. Thanksgiving in Houston. Back to NY. A quick Christmas in Houston. Back to NY on the 26th to tech CALLBACK. NYE in NYC. February in NYC; 3 days in the hospital. Directed my first NY play! Show closed on 07Apr... arrived into Houston 08Apr, Easter morning. Tomorrow is Mom's birthday. Also going to De La Soul concert. Scheduled to fly back into NY on Saturday, but may postpone and drive to Austin for the Bob Marley Fest. Oh oh oh, and [View Full Entry]

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Drove 6 hours. I had to put in driving time, too -- on a stick shift. eek! There was life in the French Quarter. Musicians were out. Artists were out. Tourists were out. The sun was out. The vendors were out. There was spirit. There was energy. I don't think that could ever get washed away from N.O. Walked around all day... 'til we worked up the appetite for Cafe du Monde: coffee & beignets! Bought a t-shirt: Make Levees Not War. Did I misspell levee? A lot of construction still... but it still felt the same -- at least for [View Full Entry]

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We're driving to New Orleans in a few hours.... (need to go to bed) beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde. One year after Katrina... what will she look like now? Laissez les bonnes temps roulez? je ne sais pas. [View Full Entry]

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made it to texas tonite! 3 trains & a plane later.. here i am! visiting the fam. real world errands already start tomorrow: dentist, bank, temp gym pass, wash clothes. but the FIRST thing i will do tomorrow: drink COFFEE with my family. ahhhhhhhhhhh. i've been waiting MONTHS for this ;-) gnite from tejas! xuxu [View Full Entry]

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had brunch in Winters, CA. Talked to a guy in the WC Q. he's a visiting prof at UCDavis, visiting from S Italy! We chatted it up in Italian until it was my turn to tinkle :) drove up to Half Moon Beach and slept for a while by the water. saw the famous surf point that i can't remember the name. (haha, not so famous for me) went into SF to Zeitsgeist and met up w Xina, Thai, and Gil. Nat, Xina and I had a lil college reunion. It was great all being together. Froze my toes off on [View Full Entry]

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I *thankfully* managed my way through the airports in Changsha and Beijing. @ the beijing airport, they confinscated my water, lotion, toothpaste, deoderant, body spray... jeesh. i asked if i could use one last go-around but they said NO. I blinked my eyes and POOF I'm back in the states. In SF/Davis CA visiting Natalie for the weekend (2 hour train ride from SFO - but Nat met me half way). Skipped out on the high school reunion. Decided to have some college fun w Nat & hopefully Xina. Got here Thursday morning (at the same "time" I left China). Yesterday [View Full Entry]

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7 hours in Yueyang --> 2 hour drive to Changsha --> Fly to Beijing --> Fly to San Francisco. Hang with Natalie on the west coast!! i can't believe this is my last nite in China.. and the only bit of day i will see will be on the way to the airport heading back to the states. went around town w some of my students after class. got them green tea bubble tea. yummy! went out to dinner tonite w all the teachers and headmaster. what a great summer in china. so many memories... moments... i was so comfortable here. [View Full Entry]

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i bought a new pair of prescription glasses yesterday. i know: i never even wear my glasses! they have some great frames & it only cost $40 USD. niiiiiiiiiice. bought some gifts yesterday. and a coconut. i started to ask the man about his stack of coconuts & he jumped over his counter, grabbed some crazy butcher knife and started hacking away at one. i was going to ask him exactly what i was going to buy, but the stack of coconuts kept loosing one in the bunch.. and a coconut would roll away and he'd run after it w the [View Full Entry]

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GPJ please walk back to the mall and ask MRM for her Email. You are blowing up my blog. :) MRM: without you though, I would have no comments. :) Love you, lulu [View Full Entry]

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