diana

Diana and I did a short segment on weird food in China for KGW, Portland. I'm the Portland connection and she's the superstar! ;)

Head over to her site to see the video and read the story.

Hey do you guys know this girl Diana? She runs this blog called Appetite For China. Well these days she's been on TV quite a bit showing the American television stations around the Wang Fu Jing snack street. Diana's a great writer and its nice to see people paying attention to her blog and her work.

What for her on CBS's early show (nationwide) as well as on KGW in Portland, Oregon.

Today Diana signed the papers for our first apartment in Beijing, China. This confirms that for the next year we will be living in Beijing and, thus, learning Mandarin Chinese. Beijing is being overrun by Olympic fever so our apartment search was made rather difficult by landlords that are looking to "cash-in" on the once-in-a-lifetime event. Almost every single one of the apartments we looked at, that matched our picky criteria, had the rent raised either just before or during our viewing of it.

The cradle rocks just a little slower this year as Diana turns the big 25! Go say Happy Birthday to her on her blog and then stop making fun of me for "robbing the cradle"..

Three years folks, that's nothing!

Diana's parents are in town this weekend. They moved back to China late last year and returned to the U.S to do their last US tax return. Instead of just stopping into the country, turning in their taxes and leaving they decided to take a tour. They started out in San Francisco, headed to L.A, over to Boston and now they are in New York. Originally they planned for just a few days but I think they have decided to stay a little longer; which I think is awesome.

They came bearing gifts so they can stay as long as they'd like. They brought me and Diana (mainly me.. since Diana's is much smarter than I) children's Learn Mandarin Chinese books. Yes the books were designed and intended for us by 4 and 5 year olds but I think that they are awesome. Last night Diana's mother went through one of the books with me. I felt like I was about five years old but that really isn't any different than everyday ;)

These books are awesome!

Ok now in other completely unrelated news Diana's article on hiking in Connecticut was published this morning in the Sunday edition of the Boston Globe (Travel section). You can read it online here on the Explore New England website.

Sadly, this file is missing.

Diana had her first major article in the Boston Globe this past Wednesday. Front page of the Food Section! I guess when she goes for something she gets what she wants.

Check out the videos below.

PDF of the Boston Globe Article

Diana's first big article in the Boston Globe and she made the front page of the Food section! She wrote an awesome article on a handmade noodle restaurant.

I haven't taken a whole lot of photos since I moved to New York but I did take a few. I uploaded 4 more pictures in "The East Side" and 7 pictures in "Florida".

Of New York I took a picture of:

• Times Square (typical traditional photo)
• The L stop to Brooklyn
• I love Brooklyn, I'll probably end of moving there. Although I really like Chinatown and the east village too.
  
• Diana
• Yes, a picture of Diana. Well, not quite. She's on the phone and you can only see her back and hair. I know you guys are all dying to see who this girl is (Umm.. I had pictures of her on my website for about 2 months). When I get back to New York I will setup an ambush and take a picture of her. sssshhhh don't tell her.
  
• Manhattan Skyline
• The view from Diana's living room/kitchen windows

I took a few pictures on my drive down to Florida, too. Lately I haven't been in a "photo-taking" mood so I've been leaving my camera in the car or at the house.

Ok I have to get back to applying for jobs.