by Alison | Apr 8, 2026 | Blog, Just Life
I like sushi. The best sushi I’ve ever had was in Japan, at a fish market in Tokyo. Two of my Japanese friends took me there, and even though I don’t usually prefer to eat raw fish, that one was perfect. We even had puffer fish which is poisonous if it is prepared...
by Alison | Apr 1, 2026 | Blog, Chinese Language and Culture, Just Life
One of the advantages of being a university teacher is that I get the chance to see amazing performances. The other day, my roommate, Kendra, and I were out having adventures in the city (I’ll have to tell you more about those in another post). As we were getting on...
by Alison | Mar 25, 2026 | Blog, Just Life
I often have colleagues complain that their students don’t talk in class—the good kind of talking. When I hear these complaints, I always feel a bit sad. I feel sad for the teacher because I know how frustrating that is, but I also feel bad for the students who don’t...
by Alison | Mar 18, 2026 | Blog, Chinese Language and Culture, Just Life
This semester, I decided to join one of my roommate’s Chinese classes. When she told me that one of her classes is Chinese Literature, I was pretty excited as that is a topic that interests me. Really, literature from any culture is interesting to me, but since I’m...
by Alison | Feb 25, 2026 | Blog, Just Life
I love watching live musicals, and Guangzhou Opera House is a wonderful place to enjoy them. Few of the musicals I’ve seen are as impressive or beautiful as Phantom. I love the costumes and most of all the music. The story is a bit frustrating. The first time I...