Word Pictures

A few weeks ago, I was in the kitchen listening to NPR and I heard an author (successful, I think) say that when she switched from being a journalist to being an author she had to learn to "show people and not just tell them." She had to practice making her descriptions of events and characters full enough that everyone reading her books could easily picture in their minds what was coming from the pages.

One of the things I am trying to do with this blog is learn how to create compelling stories and images using words. I may try to describe people and places with the text and then put in photos at the bottom so you can see if what I wrote matched what was in the picture. It sounds like a challenging exercise to me, but one that is certainly worth it. Becoming a good storyteller is one of the most critical skills that we can learn, because stories are the best way to convey information and affect the minds and hearts of those around us. By nature, I keep my stories to myself and this is an opportunity for me to break out of that pattern. I hope you enjoy it.

There's hope for tomatoes in PDX

One of the worst parts of going to China in August is that August is the best month to be in Portland. The weather is usually great, there are lots of free outdoor concerts to go to, and the farmer's market finally has good tomatoes. It's hard to get an exceptional tomato in Portland--the weather is just not hot enough for long enough. This year's tomatoes will generally be late, since it was cold for so long. I hope that we have a late summer to match the late spring so that the tomatoes in our garden will be worth eating when I get back to PDX at the end of August.

On the flip side, I am excited to see what types of produce will be available in Beijing during August. I know that China is one of the world's largest producers of tomato paste, but I don't know if this means that there will be lots of good fresh tomatoes in the markets. If not, maybe there will be some other type of fruit that is even better! I'll let you know.

Preparing for Beijing

On Monday, July 26, I am headed to Beijing to spend one month at the Beijing Culture and Language University studying Mandarin Chinese. This is going to be a great adventure. I can't wait to have the time to explore Beijing. One of my classmates from the MIM program is already studying at BCLU, so it will be great fun having him show me around. I have heard that the teachers in China are exceptional, so I look forward to improving my language chops. 

The one bad thing is that I will have to be away from my family for so long. They'll be fine, I'm sure, but it will be a challenge for Shayna (my wife) to keep up with two little kids by herself. 

Weezer wants you to...

I think this is a great song. The bridge towards the end is what makes it great, if you ask me. Listen to it and see what I mean.

By the way, I can no longer see this video. The Great Firewall is strong as ever. . .

Welcome.

This is my new blog. I resisted writing one for a long, long time because I thought that being a blogger is narcissistic. I still kind of think that, but I also see how blogging is a good way to keep in touch with people. 

We'll see how long I keep it up.