Really. I've eaten delicious Peking duck, excessive amounts of beef and pork, plenty of seafood, and every once a while even chicken. But I've hardly caught the faintest whiff of turkey since landing here. If it wasn't for the Desautels, an American family I've been staying with for the past 5 days, I might have had to forgo turkey even on beloved Turkey Day. But you can all exhale. Chris was well fed this last Thursday, having been served a meal complete with gravy, imported cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, turkey and one delicious apple pie. We even said a nice meal prayer. I guess the Chinese don’t know what they are missing. … When I last posted I was staying with Vince and Kitty, and they definitely deserve more than a word here, as they supported ... read more

Duiduiduiduiduidui Hey everybody So, if you're wondering about the title, "dui"; it most closely translates to "right"  as in "Yes, that's right." You simply hear it everywhere, often several in one sentence, often several strung together as one word. I've felt like I can get through entire days just saying "dui," or "bú dui" (wrong). I've noticed it's often accompanied by an "aw" sound on the end, as in "dui-aww," depending on the context of the conversation and the intended emphasis.  My understanding of Chinese slang continues. So last time I posted I was bidding farewell to my French friends. Within my next five days in Beijing, I would read, write, meditate and play badminton extensively. Regarding badminton: After a little bit of searching I found the Capital Training Center which boasted about 20 courts and ... read more