“Across the street I spotted a small, rather unkempt park. But at its center was a Chinese pavilion, its tile roof flowing down into curves like the skirt of a pirouetting Cinderella, a jewel of traditional Chinese simplicity in a setting of drab apartment blocks and 1970s-era academic buildings.”   –Home is a Roof over a Pig

I have a bicycle now. I always wanted a bicycle in China, but in Tai’an our campus was on a hillside; a bike just wasn’t practical. Beijing is flat, so one of my first major purchases was a nice, sturdy, black bicycle. It even has a wire basket on the front and a padded seat over the rear tire. I always bring the bike on Tuesdays and Fridays, when I walk the children...