You know that scene in every movie where everything’s gone to hell in a hand basket? When the main characters are in major trouble and the situation looks hopeless? They get fired from their job, the bank repossess their car, the terrorists get the nuclear codes, they break their washing machine, their loved one gets kidnapped by a … Continue reading
A few weeks ago I accepted a Couchsurfer to stay at my place for a week. She was to arrive Friday the 20th. The day arrived and I checked my email to see that I had missed a message asking me for my exact address. I rushed to send it to her but I was worried because in her email … Continue reading
Time Flies When You Teach In China You know in those racing video games when you complete a lap or go a certain distance the screen will flash the words “checkpoint” across the screen? That’s what I thought of today when I realized that January marks my sixth month in Beijing! I can’t believe I’m halfway … Continue reading
How To Correctly Plan for a Hike: Step One: Check the weather report before you go. Step Two: Pack all necessary equipment from sleepwear to sausages. Step three: Make sure someone in your group knows how to start a fire. If, like me, you skip all three of these steps then your trip will … Continue reading
Yes! For once all the guidebooks are right. If you’re spending a few days in Beijing and you’ve seen the Great Wall, and gotten lost in the Forbidden City, and are wondering what to do next, wonder no more. Jingshan Park is absolutely worth the two kuai price of entry. Two kuai -that’s 30 … Continue reading
I’ve got a job! I know, I know, I’m a bit late. But two months into this job I can say that it’s a good one and I’m going to keep it. So which contract did I end up taking? The very last one I was offered, by a company called “Best Learning.” I signed … Continue reading
What’s pink, has four walls and no mattress? You guessed it, my room. After spending one week at my friend Alicia’s house and two weeks at the Home Inn near the Anli Park Training Center, I finally have a permanent residence: My apartment is part of a “community” of apartment buildings 20 minutes walk from … Continue reading
White people in China are like Western motorcyclists: passing each other on opposite sides of the road they share a moment of recognition, a small ahead tilt, a short wave, some small gesture of solidarity as if too say, “you’re not alone, buddy. I’m with ya.” This sense of kinship, though ephemeral, has been a … Continue reading
Sharing A Passion for Aviation Everyday
Live cheaply in an RV, work on the road, and see the world.
The journey of a miniature art gallery on a cargo bike © Ellis Meade 2016
Figuring Life Out One Adventure At A Time
Missives From China 