Month: January 2012

Snow Drama

Published by Sula H.

I like snow. In fact, I’ve been waiting for some decent snow here for more than two years. Now, I’m fully aware that not everyone likes snow as much as I do (as some of my dear colleagues lovingly keep pointing out to me), but still: Snow is a fine thing. In my eyes at least. And when it started snowing these last couple of days, I was getting my hopes up: Maybe we’ll get a decent winter this year after all! But alas! While it was snowing these last couple of days, it wasn’t actually cold enough for those white little flakes to stick around. And then today as I was on my way to breakfast, I made an observation. Or rather, it was two observations that I made, to be a little more exact: Observation #1: It’s freezing cold outside! In fact, it’s so cold that all the puddles from the recent snowfall have been freezing, and even the ponds around campus have a beautiful layer of ice! See the proof here:   …

Freebie Friday: Feast

Published by Sula H.

Yay, it’s happy-hour in freebie-land again, or at least in my little scrap corner of the world! And I did do some scrapping again this week, even though I was struggling with whether I should scrap or read Lord of the Rings instead, the reading project I’ve ventured into recently. Lucky thing is, I found a happy compromise of “reading” and scrapping at the same time. How I’m able to manage that, you wonder? Well, Audiobook, is the magic word! Now, I’m going on adventurous journeys through Middle Earth, and still I can get some scrapping done! Genius, right?! Anyways, you get the benefits of it all, because while Frodo was fighting against ringwraiths and the likes, I managed to whip up a new freebie template for you! It’s based on my page “Feasting with Friends,” which actually is part of a double page spread.   Alright, so I hope you can see an image there, because I can’t, lol! (Note to self: Never upload a freebie that late on a Friday night, when internet traffic …

Fun with Chinglish: Screw Up the Lid

Published by Sula H.

Make sure you read the directions carefully. Or else you may not know how to perfectly screw up the lid! Note: When posting anything in the Fun with Chinglish section, I don’t mean to show disrespect towards anything or anyone in any way. I’m simply sharing the fun we get to have with all those great signs & documents!

Hot Water Days

Published by Sula H.

It’s cold outside. So cold, in fact,  that on and off it’s been snowing these days. Not that we actually get to have some snowy-white winder wonderland, but it’s at least cold enough to be shivering all over, if you don’t know how to keep warm. The best way to stay warm (and healthy for that matter) is to drink lots of hot water – at least according to the Chinese and their traditions! How many times have I been kindly reminded by my students, friends, and any other locals who are good enough to share their wisdom with me: “Drink more hot water! It’s good for your healthy!” And after hesitatingly trying out what plain heated water might taste like, I must admit: There is some truth to that old wisdom – a cup of hot water can do a thing or two indeed to keep you warm on a cold winter’s day, esp. when there’s nothing else to be had; and so I may pass on that old wisdom to you now: Drink …

Food Corner: Grits Porridge

Published by Sula H.

Let’s talk about breakfast for once. A very typical breakfast meal in China contains among other things some kind of porridge. There are many different kinds of porridge, most of which taste very bland since they contain nothing more than water and some kind of grain. This particular one is made with with grits, and it tastes just like a little more than boiled water.