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Monthly Archives August 2009

Foreign Woman Removes Top At Beach in Qingdao, Causes Major Disturbance

Contrary to popular perception, women in Asia are not universally modest. Any time I visit a nightclub in Kunming, for example, I see girls dressed up in outfits that would make any Westerner blush. Granted, some of these women are hired by the club to attract men, but in general women who patronize night-spots in [...]

Posted 24 August 2009 † matt_schiavenza § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (17) °

Comments Down

I’ve been informed that comments on this site are down, and unfortunately I haven’t figured out how to resurrect them yet. I’m flying back to China tonight and will begin work shortly after arriving so it might take me a few days to get everything back in order. If you want to comment on something [...]

Posted 15 August 2009 † matt_schiavenza § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) °

A Tale of Two Weddings

Nothing sums up my experience of being an expat quite like the two weddings I’ve attended this year. The first wedding, held in early May, took place in a tiny village in rural south Yunnan Province, not far from the Lao border. All of the food from the wedding came from rice and vegetables grown [...]

Posted 13 August 2009 † matt_schiavenza § Navel Gazing ‡ Comments (0) °

The Beauty of Anarchic Roads

The traffic system in most Chinese cities are frighteningly chaotic, and Kunming is no exception. Several major intersections have no control whatsoever. Red-light running is endemic. Drivers will do anything- anything- to avert gridlock, including driving on the sidewalk or down the wrong way of one-way roads. When you add in silent electrical bikes, motorcycles, [...]

Posted 13 August 2009 † matt_schiavenza § Technology & Society ‡ Comments (0) °

Here I Am, and There I Go

Apologies for the hiatus- for this reason or that I’ve neglected this blog, though not for lack of ideas swirling around in the head. First, though, on a personal note: I will be flying back to the US tomorrow morning to attend a friend’s wedding at Lake Arrowhead, California, thanks to the generosity of my [...]

Posted 04 August 2009 † matt_schiavenza § Me ‡ Comments (0) °