Indoor skiing

Last Friday, we had no school and a friend organized a trip to an indoor ski dome. About five or six cars of us trekked out there and it was really a gas. Good to be there on an uncrowded day because it would be frightening on a busy time. There…

Jacob gets a viola

He brought it home yesterday and is very pleased with it, though he mostly takes it out, fiddles a note or two then leaves it lying on the ground. It will be an absolute miracle if I don't end up paying for this thing in pieces, most likely…

NFL China

I just came form a meeting with the NFL guys who are here setting up an exhibition game for next August. I am doing a story on the NFL’s push into china for the WSJ. Becky is in NYC now for a Bureau chief’s meeting – I keep imaging a meeting…

Halloween, Mach 1

Eli as Dath MaulMax Rosenblum, Anna, DarthWyatt and finnegan CameronMax and Eric RosenblumRace Cameron and Eli. They arelikethis.This is a very meager set of Halloween pictures, taken at Halloween Mach 1, at River Garden, the nearby, American-heavy…

Harvest Festival

We have a bagel store nearby called Mrs. Shannen’s. It is owned by a Chinese couple who lived in Brooklyn for along time. Bagels are decent.. they need more curst but quality is high. They import all their flour from the US and are very serious…

I am not a blogger

Please let’s no longer refer to this as a blog. Just call it Alan’s website. I watched the CNN election coverage for a good while this morning on an exercise bike and they kept going to some bloggers room they had set up, with representatives…

Vote Early and Often

Well, except for David Kann. I am going nuts because I couldn't vote absentee. We changed our mailing address to my folks and that cancelled out our voting registration and we didn't manage to get it reupped. I have more thoughts on this matter…

Coffee Insanity

$80/pound coffee? Even I am not nearly that nuts. Actually, one of the really surprising things about my sojournhere has beenlearning that instant coffee is not so bad. I bring six pounds of Peets back every time though.

Soccer photo

Jacob and Lucas Pos, who could probably be safely described as his best friend.
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Last week’s column

Driving Around in Circles To Buy a Car in Beijing October 27, 2006 When we moved here last year, we took over a 1993 Beijing Jeep Cherokee with a booming V8 engine. I felt hardcore and macho driving it, with every liver-rattling bump reaffirming…