Jim in China

The daily bike commute has been a challenge, now that traffic has swelled to its former numbers reminiscent of its pre-Olympian days of glory.
I bike 5 kilometers each way, and most of it requires merely constant vigilance against the taxi swerving too fast through the street, quick responses against a careening three-wheeled electric [...]

After quite a bit of cleaning, my apartment is starting to look habitable. I have seen a handful of other places - all much better kept than mine - and it became even more apparent to me that the single guy who lived in the place before me really did not keep it up. After [...]