Carl Lance

My Valentine

It’s Valentine’s Day in China, at least for the Americans living here. Frantic searches are underway by those who waited too long to buy gifts or completely forgot. It is an opportunity to express our love to those we hold most dear or to wish we had if we disappoint them. This is not the […]

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Almost Finished

     The movers packed up our possessions.  Fifteen years of living overseas went into six shipping crates that we won’t see for more than a month.  They even took away our car. Everything will be loaded on a ship bound for Texas. The apartment seems so empty now, with only the “furnished” items remaining and

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Life Is Not a Performance

     Last night we attended an acrobatic show at the Chaoyang Theater in Beijing.  The hour-long variety show was like a circus, with beautiful costumes, thrilling acts of daring and amazing skills.  The performers began their training as young as six and endure a lot of pain to gain the strength and skill they need

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Existential Threat

If you pay any attention to the news, you know the enemy is preparing to attack on a scale we haven’t seen in recent memory. In fact, we are already at war and casualties are mounting. It’s less obvious because the enemy is hiding his actions and intentions. They have been secretly attacking over social

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No Justice, No Peace

     A familiar face was in the news today.  Not that I knew her personally, but I remember the intern who was murdered about the time I joined the Foreign Service. With my only daughter in college at the time I understood how devastating the loss must have been for the parents.  The hopes

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