The 5 Flags of the Permanent Traveler

We all have a flag  – the country that holds our passport and our heart – Flag 1.  But there are other “flags” that make it possible to be a PT – Permanent Tourist, Perpetual Traveler, “Prior Taxpayer.”  With credit to Nomad Capitalist, the logic of the 5 Flag Theory is this:  you may go where you are treated best. Every time you base a … Continue reading The 5 Flags of the Permanent Traveler

TravelEd – my sites for China travel

March 2018 These are sites and services I can recommend for travel in China.  But before you go: Critical web`tools and apps Be sure to download at least 2 free VPN before you leave home, maybe even a paid service.  So many sites you are used to are blocked:  Google, Facebook, …. Be sure to get a China sim card in the airport and let … Continue reading TravelEd – my sites for China travel

From FuturEd to TravelEd

From FuturEd to TravelEd – here’s my emerging travel website and blog philosophy. Well, it’s maybe not a real philosophy – it’s the sum of “5W and H” I blog today in February 2018.  I say this because by blog/website is new, so I get new ideas and make changes every day it seems.  Today, I have been challenged to put this in writing because … Continue reading From FuturEd to TravelEd

Tulou – Fascinating Fujian Forts

The Fujian tulou, from where I live in Hefei, are a 6 hour high speed train, a 1 hour local train, then a 2 hour drive up winding mountain roads under repair. I had concluded I was completely lost when suddenly they appeared as we dropped into a wide, forested mountain valley just before sunset.  Large forts, both round and square, 3 or 4 stories … Continue reading Tulou – Fascinating Fujian Forts

The Root Chakra did it.

  I think my Root Chakra just popped open. What a revelation! I have been feeling very weird lately and I have found one way to understand it. Through divine intervention, I have just become financially stable – not rich, just free of financial worries – and it is a VERY NEW feeling for me. So new that I’m struggling to adapt and accept my … Continue reading The Root Chakra did it.

Unexpected Funeral in Fujian

While exploring the fascinating tulou in Fujian, I came upon this. I wasn’t sure what was happening. Outside the tulou, there were elaborate floral arrangements.   People were coming and going, but I noticed a smaller house in the middle and I was directed to go inside. That’s what made it Unexpected. I have been shooed away from funeral spectacles before.   Fascinating – and … Continue reading Unexpected Funeral in Fujian

Arab world Adventurers – my inspiration

9 Historical Arabs who Traveled the World by Yasmil Helal is an inspiring read. It is thought-provoking to learn these adventurers preceded or assisted the European explorers that we study in Western education.  Seems to me that we need a new history curriculum… Fundamentally, these adventurers were seeking knowledge rather than economic exploitation.  I wish I could find the books they’ve written…. Yasmil writes  “Here are some … Continue reading Arab world Adventurers – my inspiration

Long weekend in Beijing – my 2017 pilgrimage

It’s a spring holiday at the university, so I make my 2017 pilgrimage to glorious Beijing. A long weekend in Beijing starts with a 5-hour train trip from Hefei. Photos are hard to capture at 208 kms per hour! This time I am staying at the Lu Song Yuan Hotel in the Banchang Hutong. It’s just off the end of Nanluoguxiang Hutong where I have … Continue reading Long weekend in Beijing – my 2017 pilgrimage