Wandering Reflections

Petals & Ice Cream: My Magical Day at Turtle Head Peninsula Apr 06, 2025

 

When most people think of cherry blossoms, they imagine Japan—temples framed in pink, crowded parks under petal-filled skies. But guess what? China has its own breathtaking cherry blossoms, and in some places, they’re even more spectacular.

One of the best spots? Turtle Head Isle (鼋头渚, Yuántóuzhǔ) on Taihu Lake in Jiangsu province. This island is famous for its 30,000 cherry trees—more than many famous spots in Japan! And here’s the wild part: most of these "cherry blossom" trees don’t eve...

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A Frozen Wonderland: My Trip to Harbin’s Ice Festival Mar 25, 2025

A memory of Harbin has been frozen in my mind since 2010—a winter wonderland of ice, beautiful but modest in its scale. To return in 2025 was to step into a completely different realm. The quiet festival I remembered had erupted into a sprawling, glittering metropolis of ice, its growth supercharged by the energy of hosting this year's Asian Winter Olympics. The air buzzed with an international spirit, reflected in the colossal ice sculptures that paid homage to famous landmarks across A

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A Tale of Two Celebrations: My Journey Through Chinese Spring Festivals Feb 09, 2025

The first time I witnessed a Chinese Spring Festival celebration, I was living in Toronto. It was a vibrant, sensory explosion—streets adorned with red lanterns, the air filled with laughter and the sizzle of street food, and the rhythmic beats of drums accompanying the mesmerizing dragon and lion dances. Firecrackers popped intermittently, adding to the festive chaos. It was magical, and I remember thinking, “If this is how it’s celebrated abroad, imagine what it must be like in China!”

A coup...

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The Ice Water Mystery: A Simple Shift for Powerful Digestion Jan 13, 2025

As a teacher and mentor, I'm always amazed by how small changes can make a big difference. Today, let's talk about something super simple that can have a huge impact on how you feel: drinking ice water.

When I travel, I've noticed something interesting. In the US, we love ice water. Restaurants automatically bring it to the table. But in many other countries, it's not so common. This made me think about what I already knew from studying ancient healing practices, like Traditional Chinese Medici...

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Drowning in the Online Business World? I Found a Life Raft Dec 29, 2024

**Listen to my blog by clicking the continue reading button below**

My world was once built on the energy of a room, on the face-to-face connections I made as a coach and teacher in my city. I loved my work, the immediate feedback, and the community we built. But when the pandemic hit, that world went quiet, and like so many others, I was pushed through a new door—the digital one. At first, it felt like an opportunity. With more time on my hands, I decided this was the moment to build the onlin...

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