Kayaking down the River
A couple of weeks ago, during Dragon Boat Festival, my friends and I drove to Qingyuan, a city nearby my city. We stayed in a delightful place along the river. When we drove up, we noticed a collection of kayaks next to the river, and I decided that I really wanted to...
The End
Yesterday I had my last classes of the semester. I always have mixed emotions at the end of the semester, especially now in the awkward period of time when I have finished classes but have a long way to go before I’m actually on holiday. When my friends ask me if I’m...
Lessons from Mahjong
I love playing games, and Mahjong is no exception. During my first year in China, two of my students approached my friend Megan, and me. “You guys have to learn how to play Mahjong, and we will teach you.” “Ok, sure!” Our first year in China, Megan and I were almost...
Chicken Drumstick Ice Cream
China has lots of delicious foods, and lots of what I would consider “experimental foods.” Particularly the ice cream. Corn ice cream and mung bean ice cream are pretty common. I’ve also tried spicy ice cream which was pretty weird. One time, my friend, Shirley, and I...
Secret Trip
One thing I love about living in a big city like Guangzhou is that there are always new places to discover. Even on a road that I have walked down a hundred times, I might discover a shop that I never noticed or hadn’t ever entered. I never thought I would like living...
Water Park Tradition
I love having fun traditions. I love having something fun to look forward to, and I love having people to enjoy those traditions with. Last year, a few friends and I went to the water park in my city, and this year, a couple of us decided to go again. My teenage...
When God Provides a Drive-thru
Sometimes, God works miracles and provides things that seem impossible just to show us that He is working and He is still in control. And sometimes it’s the smallest things that stick with me because these small things are reminders that He’s in charge of the big...
Animals in Australia (Part 2): Baw Baw Mountain
My brother, Josh, and I saw lots of exciting and spectacular sights along the way from Sydney to Melbourne in Australia, but one of the sights that also started out pretty badly was our adventure on Baw Baw Mountain. Josh had seen this mountain in his research, and we...
Editing my new book
I finished writing my second book on November 24, 2022. Writing that date down is a bit shocking. I can’t believe I finished the book so long ago. After I finished writing it, I put it away for a while and focused on other things. In the summer of 2023, I moved and...
Views of Sydney Opera House
My family liked to do jigsaw puzzles growing up, and I would say most of us are still avid puzzlers. Our favorite puzzle was an outline of the continent of Australia filled with different sections of individual pictures. There was a picture of a kangaroo, a kangaroo...