Surviving the Beijing Smog

Everything you’ve heard about Beijing’s horrible air is true. After I arrived, it took ten days before I saw blue sky. Ten days. On a typical day you can stare directly at the sun because there’s so much smog in the air. When I lick my lips while outside (a favorite pastime in the cold, […]

More On Liu Han Hope Elementary School

Yesterday I mentioned a story in The Guardian about Liu Han Hope Elementary School, whose students all survived the earthquake thanks to reliable construction (e.g. the use of building-grade concrete) and to their teachers, who led them on an overnight hike over the hills to a nearby city. I’ve found a translation of what I […]

Perspectives On The Chengdu Earthquake

American Jewish World Service, my charity of choice, does not have a program set up in China, and is referring donors to InterAction.org and Charity Navigator to find charities. Before donating to any charity, please check it out first through Charity Navigator so you can see exactly how much of your donation will actually go […]

Exploring Liaoning (辽宁) Province, Part 2: The Bus

This is Part 2 of a series of posts about my trip from Changchun (长春), where I lived and worked last year, to the Liaoning (辽宁) Province. Check out the other parts of the story as I get around to writing them: Part 1: Where we went, and why Part 2: The Bus Part ?: […]