Marjorie M. Liu's Blog

It's Sunday morning here, and Saturday evening for all you folks back home in the States.  I had a long night of strange dreams.  Men coming back from the dead, warnings about earthquakes, spooky houses.  I think there was a marriage proposal, too, but I remember a voice saying we'd have to 'live with Mother'. 

Right.  I'm very glad to be awake now. 

Here's some awesome writing advice from the wonderful Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld.  It's aimed at all the NaNoWriMo...

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There are regional quirks that one gets used to when living in China (or any country, state, city, town); like, for example, the habit of some motorists to stop in the middle of the freeway and back the hell up, in high speed traffic, because they missed their exit; or the rice congee you can buy at KFC for breakfast; or the professional beggars who whip out expensive cell phones to text during their breaks; or the fact that it is nearly impossible to buy a dishwasher in Beijing. 

Washing...

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Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Mine was delightful, though I have to admit that when you're out of the country, and not around all the usual reminders that a holiday is coming, those special days kind of slip up on you without much warning. 

No turkey, but we had Beijing roast duck.

We've been going to this particular restaurant (Xiang Man Lou) for around eight years now.  It's a hole in the wall, set down a side street near a hotel, and if you don't get there by a...

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I hope it's a lovely one for you all (well, those who celebrate the holiday...otherwise, a happy day to the rest of you, as well!).

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I said in a recent interview that truth is stranger than fiction, and that (to paraphrase) setting fantasy stories in our contemporary urban world isn't that difficult because of that strangeness, because there is so much that already exists that goes beyond our various comfort zones and preconceived notions, that it might as well be fantasy. 

I was at dinner the other night, in which we ate a really delicious roast duck. A comment was made about the duck brain, and I asked what it...

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My interview for Project Paranormal is finally up at the Penguin site. I talk Maxine Kiss & Marvel Comics.

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Released in June 2010.  Think mermen. 

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Which sounds rather ominous, though it's not meant to be.  To read more, check out my post over at the Clockwork Blog.

It's the middle of the night here, and I'm going to try and sleep.  The jet lag has been brutal this time. 

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TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design.

I attended TedxBeijing on Friday—a half-day event that featured a dozen speakers from a dozen different professions, all of whom spoke to the attendees about passion.  Passion in work, passion in life. 

Some quotes I scribbled down:

- Change starts with lifestyle pioneers…


- Passion creates possibilities…


- Strain your limits…


- Exploration is the challenge of managing logistics (you never know what life will throw at you in the field)…

Taken by ...

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Been feeling under the weather for the past couple of days, but this morning I finally ventured out, bundled up, and happy for some fresh air.  I tried to get some work done at a little local coffee shop, and overheard this, from a British woman:  "Can you believe it?  My little girl saw all the snow and said, 'Mommy, did the Beijing government make it snow for Obama?'"

Uh, maybe?  Nothing would surprise me.  There's a joke out there; something about how a Chinese city without snow is like a ...

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