Uyghurs, one of the many different people groups present here in Xinjiang, are the experts at cooking lamb kebabs. Come to think of it, they’re experts at everything having to do with sheep meat and all other body parts. Because they are usually Muslim, naturally they can’t eat pork…

So it’s no secret that America in general is a much heavier nation than China, even though McDonalds and KFC are trying their best to fix this. However, because these fast food options aren’t readily available to us here in Xinjiang (there isn’t a McDonald’s anywhere and KFC is too expensive!) we’ve actually lost a lot of weight since moving here two years ago. We eat healthier, eat less, and walk everywhere.
Then we take a one-month vacation back to America.
If the title of this post didn’t clue you …

We’re back!!

We can now officially say that we’ve circumnavigated the globe and are quite exhausted from doing so. In all, we’ve taken 12 flights, 3 road trips (7 hours or greater), countless rides on the subway, one boat, and a high speed train. We’ve slept in airplanes, hotels, tents, cars, condos, and even in an airport. We visited 5 museums, 3 cathedrals, and one castle. In a word, we’re pooped.

After setting foot in six different countries in the past 5 weeks (China, Qatar, England, France, Ireland, …

If you look up the phrase “ban mian” on Google you’ll find that this Chinese name is used to describe various dishes from Fujian, Singapore, and is also the English equivalent to what we call “Lo Mein.” All these may be perfectly good dishes, but it’s not the same as what is served here in Xinjiang. The reason this particular dish is different is because it isn’t Chinese, it’s Uyghur…

How much does a Beijing Olympics medal weigh? How much does it cost? This and many other questions answered.

My heart broke on behalf of Liu Xiang, the Chinese 110m hurdler first thrust into the spotlight after winning gold in Athens, as he limped out of the Bird’s Nest a few days ago.

What is Dapanji? If you ask that question to anyone outside of China they might look at you weird and wonder if you’re speaking English (which you’re not). If you ask most Chinese people they might tell you that it is one of Xinjiang’s most famous dishes. If you ask us, we’ll tell you…

Medal countis always an issue during the Olympics, but for the 2008 Olympics it has taken on a new twist. Since learning seven years ago that they would host the Olympics this year, the Chinese have made it their mission to earn the most gold medals in 2008 – and their already on track to do it.
Never fear, though! It is predicted that Americans will earn respect by bringing home the most medals in all. In reality, the Chinese have a lot of catching up to do with the rest …

I’m in the middle of watching the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics on a beautiful HD television with my family and there are not many words that could describe what I wish I were seeing in person:
Wow
$300 million was spent (as you’ve heard the commentators say multiple times) and I don’t think that any Chinese person regrets their country having spent that amount to create such a beautiful show. Numbers show that 4 billion people tuned in to watch the Olympic opening ceremony and I would bet a …

What has happened in Xinjiang leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics? A breakdown of the attacks and threats in Xinjiang.