-
Recent Posts
- Weekly Review January 6, 2024
- Woods September 23, 2023
- Melange September 23, 2023
- Brown September 22, 2023
- Infected September 22, 2023
- Doughnuts September 21, 2023
- Mothballed September 21, 2023
- Motownish September 20, 2023
- Far III September 19, 2023
- Far II September 19, 2023
- Far September 19, 2023
- Burbs September 16, 2023
- Celtic September 15, 2023
- Aroma September 15, 2023
- Mace September 15, 2023
- Timeless September 15, 2023
- Humidity September 15, 2023
- Hospitality September 14, 2023
- Road II September 14, 2023
- Galaxy July 23, 2023
- Jab April 11, 2021
- Lockheed April 5, 2021
- Out February 25, 2021
- International February 10, 2021
- Goat February 8, 2021
Tags
Archives
- January 2024 (1)
- September 2023 (18)
- July 2023 (1)
- April 2021 (2)
- February 2021 (3)
- January 2021 (2)
- December 2020 (1)
- November 2020 (1)
- October 2020 (1)
- September 2020 (1)
- July 2020 (3)
- June 2020 (1)
- May 2020 (1)
- April 2020 (1)
- March 2020 (4)
- January 2020 (1)
- December 2019 (1)
- November 2019 (50)
- October 2019 (4)
- September 2019 (1)
- July 2019 (6)
- June 2019 (6)
- May 2019 (4)
- April 2019 (10)
- March 2019 (10)
- February 2019 (11)
- January 2019 (17)
- December 2018 (5)
- November 2018 (89)
- October 2018 (18)
- September 2018 (28)
- August 2018 (6)
- July 2018 (3)
- June 2018 (2)
- May 2018 (9)
- April 2018 (38)
- March 2018 (96)
- February 2018 (4)
- January 2018 (11)
- December 2017 (5)
- November 2017 (7)
- October 2017 (23)
- September 2017 (15)
- August 2017 (7)
- July 2017 (3)
- June 2017 (8)
- May 2017 (1)
- April 2017 (6)
- March 2017 (10)
- February 2017 (75)
- January 2017 (64)
- December 2016 (80)
- November 2016 (45)
- October 2016 (46)
- September 2016 (12)
- August 2016 (32)
- July 2016 (35)
- June 2016 (13)
- May 2016 (18)
- April 2016 (5)
- March 2016 (8)
- February 2016 (9)
- January 2016 (16)
- December 2015 (20)
- November 2015 (21)
- October 2015 (35)
- September 2015 (12)
- August 2015 (9)
- July 2015 (24)
- June 2015 (11)
- May 2015 (39)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (14)
- February 2015 (29)
- January 2015 (31)
- December 2014 (27)
Category Archives: 乌鲁木齐
Bourgeois II
Ürümqi airport’s first class lounge was chintzy and very, very Chinese. Still, better than Tianjin airport’s lounge. I have opinions.
Posted in 乌鲁木齐
Leave a comment
Comfy III
This is a ream of paper being used as a booster seat on one of the chairs in the Ürümqi airport sales desk. 差不多, as the Chinese say. “Close enough.” I was here to buy an upgrade for my return … Continue reading
Gunpowder IV
I may have spoken too soon about Amsterdam. Shanghai has banned fireworks at Chinese New Year (since a huge number of the city’s firefighters go back to their hometowns to be with their families.) Apparently, fires are no concern in … Continue reading
Posted in 乌鲁木齐
Leave a comment
Suicide
Why would a snowman — a man made of snow — wear warm winter clothes? Why? WHY?
Posted in 乌鲁木齐
Leave a comment
Texas
I was watching too much CNN coverage of the Trump administration in my hotel room, so I reached out for comfort food. I discovered Ürümqi has one Tex-Mex restaurant, so I made a pilgrimage. It was closed. I immediately thought … Continue reading
Viticulture
Xinjiang is known for a burgeoning wine industry, especially around a city called Turpan on the Northern Silk Road between Ürümqi, where I am now, and Jiayuguan, the “western edge of Chinese civilization” I visited a few months ago. I’ve had … Continue reading
Mummies
The “Mortals of Last Millennium” exhibit — aside from having been named by H.P. Lovecraft, apparently — was devoted to mummies. It was creepy. My first walk through the exhibit, I refrained from taking any pictures because I thought it … Continue reading
Ethnic
Braved the falling snow to visit the Xinjiang Museum. Started with the “Memory of the History of the Western Regions” exhibit. But the guard — I’ve never seen so many guards at a museum! every room! — shooed me away from what … Continue reading
Wonderland II
To my surprise, Ürümqi turned out to be way colder & snowier than Harbin. Here’s the snow falling in front of a mural of camels and sand.Here’s the snow falling in front of a palm tree and Burger King. And here’s … Continue reading
Cookin’
These “shelves of meat” would have fit right in on the infamous Datong menu. One of my Mandarin teachers taught me that the Chinese differentiate national or international cuisines from local or regional cuisines. For example, 中餐 (Zhōngcān) and 西餐 (Xīcān) mean “Chinese food” and “Western food,” … Continue reading
Expectations
The first surprise in Ürümqi was the snow. I had thought of Xinjiang as a desert, but in the winter it’s cold and snowy. It was 10ºF (-12ºC) when I arrived. Note the English, Chinese, and Arabic script on … Continue reading
Posted in 乌鲁木齐
Leave a comment
Frontier
In the far, far west of China is a vast province (well, technically, one of China’s five autonomous regions) which is bordered by the provinces of Gansu & Qinghai to the east; the autonomous region Tibet to the south; the countries of Mongolia, … Continue reading
Crush
Between Shanghai & Xi’an and Xi’an & Ürümqi, I ended up watching a cheesy Chinese movie called Time Raiders. Twice. Without headphones. I fear I’ve fallen in love with Sichun Ma.