Matt Schiavenza From the Dragon to the Apple- A Sinophile in New York

28 Things I’ve Learned

Well, in celebration of his 28th birthday, your humble blogger shall delve in a moment of self-indulgence. Because I can.

1. All the little things people nag you about; flossing, doing the dishes, putting the cheese back in a plastic bag; are actually good advice.

2. Travel is good for the soul.

3. I don't buy it when people complain about not having enough time. Everyone has the same number of hours- the challenge is in allocating them properly.

4. When studying Chinese, do not neglect characters, tones, or stroke order. Avoid learning them at your peril.

5. There are few more pleasant activities in life than listening to a baseball game on the radio on a long, hot summer's day.

6. The comment sections on 95% of blogs are almost never worth reading (mine is an exception)

7. If you ever meet a journalist who talks your ear off, doesn't ask you any questions, and doesn't listen to your conversation; he isn't good at his job.

8. Losing your temper is almost always counterproductive.

9. Buying cheap luggage is a serious mistake; I once had a lousy suitcase in Italy that I had to duct tape to such an extent that it looked like a cheap cliche. Another time, a lousy backpack I owned split open and my toiletries all fell out- there's probably still five-year old toothpaste and deodorant at the Istanbul airport.

10. Most Luddites are just being lazy, stubborn, or both.

11. To love your country is to be able to recognize its shortcomings and flaws. Maybe that's true of loving anyone and anything.

12. There really is no one like Bob Dylan. Even his albums that are more than forty years old sound fresh and new and interesting. "Tangled Up in Blue" is one of the best songs written about a relationship, ever.

13. China is strange, maddening, but absolutely wonderful.

14. Even if your a carnivore, as I am, it's good to eat vegetarian meals sometimes.

15. When the revolution comes, the Golden State Warriors will finally be well managed.

16. California is governed by a bodybuilder turned actor, is completely dysfunctional, undertaxed, overly violent, and prone to populist madness- but I still think it's the best place on earth.

17. Un giorno senza vino e un giorno senza il sole

18. Long-distance cycling: a sport for the gods. Especially in Yunnan.

19. Despite all the hand-wringing you read in the newspapers, Barack Obama is already a far, far better president than George W. Bush ever was.

20. Most of the critical decisions I've made in my life are made instantaneously, such as the decision to draft Josh Hamilton in the first round of this year's fantasy baseball draft.

21. People often confuse complexity and difficulty. Raymond Carver's short stories are all simple, straightforward, and short. But try, just try, to write one like his. It's hard!

22. Atheism has its detractors, but it's the only thing that's ever made sense to me.

23. Reading The Economist makes you smart.

24. To put into context how good the Beatles were, they were responsible for over 30 songs that each would have made the careers of just about anyone else. And these songs were put together in six years by four men well under 30.

25. I was born and raised in North America and have now lived in Asia for nearly five years. Both are wonderful, but I think I was meant to be European.

26. Stupid ways to blow a lot of money: first class-air tickets, gambling, the lottery, smoking cigarettes.

27. There's a recession on, but I still believe that now is the best time to be alive in the history of the world. Optimism lives on.

28. A brisk walk and a cup of tea improve any bad mood. And bicycling, by god, is the best thing to do for yourself at practically any time. Except when drunk, that is.