A lot is written below that I’ve provided links to for formal context, because I don’t want to be just saying stuff without citations, but (other than the first one about a 7-year old girl who studies under her parents’ food stall) feel free to skip them if you know the back story. Also, there is a poem at the end for you. I’m in a place that uses stories like this one to stay strong: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8jBlRVXXMXtWnyeMVXD9fwI’m chilled by it….
I’m writing a fresh update because a lot has changed in the days and weeks. Things are changing fast. I’m in Guangzhou, China and we are back in business. Certain things, like schools and movie theaters are still on the out, but we are seeing major gatherings again. This is due to our nearly zero infections in about two weeks now. Rules that got us here: Isolation in the form of physical contact outdoors and personal space. Masks are an…
(…is so boring!) It’s not that I don’t appreciate the need for it, or that I have nothing to do, it’s just that being forced to sit in one room for an extended period of time is soundly annoying. It makes sense that this is what we do to criminals. Break a law, deal with being annoyed for the term of your sentence. That way, we can deter people from breaking the law, because getting caught is really annoying. I…
Xianzai, I wanna think in Chinese. . . The Chinese known as Hanyu, Putong Hua, or Mandarin, depending on your perspective. It’s all the same language, and it’s why I’m not in a paid position this year, to study this language with many names. At the same time, I’m picking up Guangdong Hua, AKA Cantonese, in little bits, so that I can hopefully blend in with the local folks a bit more, communicate with my girlfriend’s family (they aren’t all…