-
Damned if You Do…
Palo Alto Online reported that the city utility will be raising water rates. The commission also recommended raising water rates by 10 percent to generate $2.2 million. A fixed charge of $5 per residence and more for businesses would also be added that is not based on water usage, according to a staff report. Additional…
-
Gas Buddy Points the Way
Even with GasBuddy.com showing me the lowest priced gasoline in my area, I still rang up a $70 charge. That’s the most I’ve ever paid for a tank of gas. And, while gas prices do fluctuate up-and-down, the general trend is up, up and away. I don’t think we’ll be returning to 99¢/gallon gas any…
-
Sounds from Inside China
A typical tour of China passes through the major cities of Beijing and Shanghai with excursions to Xian and Guilin. Even if you’ve taken several trips to China, you probably have never seen some of the sights and sounds found in KQED’s Soundscape of China. Here are some of the highlights: Muslim prayers at a…
-
Location, Location, Location
The problem with living in a desirable location is that everyone else wants to live there as well. Of course, when you visit open houses on the weekend, everything looks great because you never see the grinding traffic that slows down all surrounding commute lanes during the weekday. So, if you are thinking of moving…
-
Home Price Comparison
If you are thinking about immigrating to the United States or moving within the United States, you are probably aware that housing prices vary from region to region. Fortunately, Coldwell Banker offers a Home Price Comparison Index, which allows you to see what an equivalent house in 4 different regions will cost. First, set the…
-
It’s Never Too Early…
Expectant fathers and mothers are often told that it’s never too early to start saving for college. Unless they have an unusually precocious child, most parents have 18 years to accumulate enough savings to pay for college expenses. Then again, if their child is unusually precocious, maybe a free ride on an academic scholarship is…
-
In Search of Roots
As a child, Chinese New Year was a time to receive red envelopes (红包) and eat sticky rice cake (年糕) or nian gao. It is quite easy to be a child during Chinese New Year. However, what about the adults? Whatever customs we picked up, if any, from our parents, one day, each of us…
-
Learning Chinese Language Online
A friend introduced me to ChinesePod, a website that offers free Mandarin Chinese lessons online. You have the option of listening to each daily lesson online or downloading the podcast to your iPod for later listening. Each lesson offers a conversation between a Chinese and English speaker. The lessons seem suited for an intermediate or…
-
A Working Parent’s Lament
Has e-mail replaced the intimate face-to-face, Do online chats end with a paternal embrace, Will our children learn if they are not within sight, Can we really know whether their mood’s dark or bright.
-
A Timeless Tale of Families Split Apart
Photographer: Peter Morgan The Wall Street Journal featured a story about liushou ertong, which refers to the roughly 22 million children left behind in the Chinese countryside while their parents seek higher-paying jobs in cities such as Shanghai. In China, small problems do not exist by mere fact of the population size. By way of…