by Alison | Jun 24, 2026 | Blog, Travels
This last weekend was Dragon Boat Festival, and by this time of the semester, I’m usually ready for a little trip. Several years ago, my roommate and another friend went to Qingdao, and last year, a few friends went to Qingyuan (a town near Guangzhou). I didn’t have...
by Alison | Jun 17, 2026 | Blog, Just Life, Travels
I love hiking, and I’m thankful that Guangzhou has so many places to go hiking. When I need some time alone in nature, I usually go to Baiyun mountain (白云山) because it’s right beside my house. It only takes about 10 minutes to walk to the gate, and I have a delightful...
by Alison | Jun 10, 2026 | Blog, Just Life, Travels
Last month, at my book club, a friend from Hungary mentioned that there was a nice Georgian (the country in Eastern Europe/Western Asia) restaurant nearby. This month, our friend who is unofficially in charge of choosing the restaurant chose this Georgian restaurant...
by Alison | Jun 3, 2026 | Blog, Just Life
This semester, I had a dream come true—a good dream! During my first year teaching in China, more than a decade ago (Yikes! It feels weird to say that!), I taught spoken English for English majors. I loved it. We had lots of fun practicing random role plays and...