Bullet Points: Sep 2012-2014

What do you do when you haven't updated a blog in two years? 
Bullet points of randomness!! But my blog title doesn't allow that... bullet points of unmethodological order or topic!!!!!!!

• I graduated from UCL! The arduous thesis journey ended!! 

• I'm beginning my third year of teaching at Guangxi University.  My first year I taught freshman English reading and writing.  My second year I taught sophomore English writing and the History and Archaeology of the Silk Road.  This year I will continue teaching the Silk Road as well as a World History survey course.  I'll also serve as the sophomore writing course coordinator again.
• I've moved into what was Kira's apartment, which is awesome because it's better than the ones I've had, but I wish she were still here this year!  (All teachers are given apartments on campus as part of their contract.)
• I have a much clearer understanding of what distinguishes Canadians vs. Americans.
• I've traveled places I had never been before: Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia as well as various parts of China and Hong Kong.
• I've discovered that Etihad and Air Seychelles are truly superb.
• I've gained cycling as a hobby and have become a fan of long-distance cycling trips.  Francesca, the one who introduced me to cycling in London, has also been working in China, so we've been able to meet up and do some exploring.  Last summer we cycled from Xi'an to Lanzhou (part of the Silk Road) in central to northwestern China, approximately 700km.  I've also done some cycling in SE Asia and other parts of China and have participated in a few mountain bike races.
  
• My Chinese is way better than it used to be.
• I ran the Singapore Sundown Marathon last year.  Since Singapore is pretty much on the equator it began at 11pm to avoid the heat.  The goal was to "beat the sun", which I and my running buddy Anete from Estonia did.
• I've become a huge fan of passion fruit, dragon fruit, and papaya.
• I presented research at the Sixth Worldwide Conference for the Society of East Asian Archaeology in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia this past June.
• I really like Vietnamese coffee.  And the kind that comes from cat poop is the best.
• I've successfully baked a cheesecake in a toaster oven.
• This past January we said goodbye to Grandmother, my dad's mom, and my last living grandparent.  She was 95!
• I've learned to drive an ebike.
• My weekends this year will be Sunday-Monday.