Tong Family (richtong.org sync)

Some places i’ve been to this go around: DR Bar. Incredibly hard to find, next to Ye Shanghai in Xintiandi. It is a minimalist bar that is quiet in the noise of Xintiandi. 4PM-1AM. I actually liked the selection of whiskeys. 100 Century Avenue Restaurant. I thought this place would…

Had a long conversation with a close friend. What a mess. Sometimes all you can do is empathize. There comes a time someone hits a low point and then something happens. It is hard to see. The psych books talk quite a bit about it. But everyone hits it at…

Here are some pronounciations 翠湖 顺昌路。 shun4 chang1 lu4. A city in Fujian Road 自忠路. Zi4 zhong1 lu4。 Oneself Loyal Road. 住户自有公寓 [zhù hù zì yǒu gōng yù] condo. rental yourself apartment Or more simple 房间 fang2 jian1 which also means room or apartmen

Well, it is confusing. After 1940, the street names in the French Concession were changed to Chinese names. And it is unclear what the original Chinese alliterations were. We think that “La ke le lu” was really Lafayette but can’t find a translation. And the cross street is “Ya fei…

Man what an exhausting day heating non-stop for most of the day everything that is important to someone who has been around for 75 plus years. Spent the day with my parents learning about how they see China, past, present and future. A great set of lessons for me. Pictures…

(The last post for a while. It is kind of cool that WordPress for iPhone let’s you store your posts and then push them out.) Fire in the Belly was one of those 1980s, “men are good books” but still an interesting read. I loved two stories that mean a…

Well been a little while since my last Chinese lesson: Shanghai Park Hyatt. 上海柏悦酒店。 Shang4hai3 Bai3yue4 Jiu3dian4. This is the really big building. So the Park Hyatt is Bai3 Yue4 and the Grand Hyatt is Jun1 Yue4. Confused yet? Shanghai Grand Hyatt. 上海金茂君悅大酒店. Shang4hai3 Jin1mao4 Jun1yue4 Da4jiu3dian4. Really directly translated…