Author Archives: chinabonding

It’s Saturday morning and, although my head aches slighltly from the revelery of the Friday night before, I rise early.  Usually I’m up early on weekends anyway, but today I have a mission to accomplish.  I need cat food.  Standing … Continue reading →

A CEO stands outside the factory gates and shakes hands saying ‘good morning’ to each of the workers, the first few go easy, energetically.  By the 100th or the 1000th the handshake becomes perfunctory, the hello and smile forced, eye … Continue reading →

An IT group is like the utility company, you only notice when they are not working.  In medchem we deal with so much data, it’s a full time job to keep it all available and organized for the scientists to use.  … Continue reading →

The man standing just outside my apartment door politely begins to remove his shoes.  Despite my protestations of ‘mei guanxi, jin lai’ he slips off his well worn dress shoes while balancing a heavy flat box on his shoulders. His … Continue reading →

One of the tough things about being an expat is the little things.  Little things you know so well how to do at home, are maddeningly difficult in country.  Banks here don’t send statements, no one uses checks, monthly bills … Continue reading →

I hate coins.  Stateside, throw the daily pocket change into the jar and when the jar overflows, stuff it in a backpack and visit a Coinstar.  Trips to rid myself of mountains of coinage were immensely satisfying.  Vast weight of … Continue reading →