Earlier this week I took a language test over the phone. Because of the 12-hour time difference, my “noontime” test actually took place at 12am Beijing time. This was great for me, because it combined my twin loves of inconvenience and standardized testing. Because this test was required by my fellowship but there was no […]

One of the goals of this blog is to try and spread its comedic contents far and wide, like a dandelion whose spores spread laughs rather than terrible, terrible allergies. Okay, not a great analogy. But still, my point stands, and so I’ve been searching for ways to get the word out about my project […]

It feels a bit awkward to admit, but between living at home in high school and on-campus in college, I’ve actually never needed to find an apartment before. Fate’s decision to put me in China for this first-time experience reminds me of my father’s decision to teach me to roller blade on grass before pavement. […]

One night last summer, I sat on the corner at a Beijing subway stop at 2 am waiting for a friend of mine from America to arrive in a cab. Out of the shadows, a man approached me. “Hey bro,” he said, “you busy?” I thought this was an odd question to ask someone who […]

Hi everyone! Tomorrow I am going to board a plane and fly to Beijing, where I will live for the next fourteen months in an attempt to better understand the humor of China. That’s not my undercover mission. Thanks to the U.S. State Department and the Fulbright commission, Chinese humor and everything that has to […]