Search Results for: "china"

China then and now–Children

by noel.piper on March 11, 2013 in Asia with 2 Comments

Recently Joann and I talked about the Esther Expedition at the monthly gathering of the China Outreach Ministries near the University of Minnesota. We’ve told our story several times to different groups, but this was the first time to a mainly Chinese audience.

We included a few slides of then-and-now photos– shots we took trying to duplicate pictures in Esther Nelson’s albums, 1924-1951.

Afterward, one Chinese student asked if we could show more of those. I promised him I’d post some. For today, I’ve gather some shots of children.

In the early 1930s, Esther wrote home asking if someone could send designs for a kiddie car that she could give a local woodworker. In December 1936, she wrote: I do have so much enjoyment at Christmas time in making things and giving to the children. I knit a couple of suits for two children, had two kiddie cars made for others . . . 

 nelson kiddie car

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a couple of kiddie cars in 2012:

IMG_2684

Nelson Kiddie car

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Esther’s day, baskets carried many things, including babies. Today too.

nelson baby basket

 

 

 

 

Nelson baby basket IMG_9574

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baskets also weren’t and aren’t bad for keeping tabs on baby on the ground too.

Nelson baby basket

IMG_0587

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little boys in every generation seem to be unsmiling about dressing up.

1940s. Photo by George Cole, colleague of Esther Nelson

1940s. Photo by George Cole, colleague of Esther Nelson

2012

2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In cold weather, you still can see toddlers dressed in thick quilted clothes, chin to toe. And that’s indoors too where it may be as cold as outdoors. At this point, I’m going to mention something that will seem perfectly normal to most of my Chinese readers, and quite the opposite to most of the rest of you. Look at the red pants of the modern-day little girl. There’s a gap in the middle. She’s in church, so there’s cloth (the white center section) wadded in there, but otherwise, there’d be nothing–just an open middle from front waist to back waist, as you can see in last photo, taken last year.

Nelson quilted toddlers IMG_1229

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nelson toddler pants

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that’s all there is for today, so I guess there’s just one thing left to say:

The End.

Esther Expedition: “Begging us not to go”

by noel.piper on May 30, 2012 in Asia with No comments

Esther Expedition

What remains of the life and ministry of Esther Nelson and her fellow missionaries? That is one of the big questions I had in mind throughout our Esther Expedition in China in March.

Of all the places where Esther Nelson lived and worked, Huili seems to have the healthiest, most thriving church. Even though we know God works in many ways to build his church, the missionaries are certainly part of the heritage in Huili.

The number of meeting points is one measure of the life of the church. In a town the size of Huili these days, there is probably only one registered church, if any at all. The government may grant permission for the church to have meeting points where one of the church’s pastors preaches periodically.

The pastor named 11 towns where there are meeting points of the Huili church. Ideally, each of these has a local leader who teaches when the pastor isn’t there. This is an amazing number for a rather isolated town.

Old women staring at us. Imagine what a curiosity Esther must have seemed.

Two of those meeting points are in towns that Esther names–”outstations” where she went with the gospel, and where the gospel is still spoken at the church’s meeting point.

Traveling the road between Xichang and Huili, we stopped and walked along the old main street of Yimen, which Esther called Emen (photos). We were the only foreigners there and it’s not likely there have been many in the years since Esther trekked 18-20 rugged miles over the mountains to get there and to walk along that same street.

 

May 5, 1949 – Huili

Well, I have done some visiting around of late.  I took [a nice long walk] to Emen, fifty li north of us. My coolie woman and her son came with me. Emen [Yimen] is just a small village of but one street long. Most of the people living there are tillers of the land, some are inn keepers, others are business men, but they all need the Lord tho they do not realize it.

The afternoon of our arrival we rested. The next morning I was out on the street early talking to the people and children. They were interested and listened earnestly. I talked until my throat was dry and harsh. Then I went for a little rest. Later my woman and I went out around the village visiting the homes ’round about.  Some places we came to, they begged us to tell them more, begging us not to go, but when we must go, they asked us to come again. We gave tracts and gospels to those who could read and they were delighted to get them.

Perhaps Esther’s testimony there is part of the reason a Gospel witness remains in Yimen.
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My travel photos may be viewed at my Shutterfly Share Site.
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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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Esther Expedition: Huili — Esther’s house?

by noel.piper on May 22, 2012 in Asia with No comments

My laptop is living up to its name by sitting in my lap while I sit on the love seat in my living room. So it’s a good time for some virtual travel. One virtue of virtual travel is that we can be together in Europe one moment, and then fly the next moment to China.

A few days ago I heard of someone who was in China and would be traveling to Huili, Sichuan Province. She is related to one of the families who was serving there at the same time as Esther Nelson. Esther was there  1948-1951.

Sending some Huili information to her reminded me that I hadn’t yet uploaded any of my photos from Huili or posted anything here about that significant place.

Today, let’s just visit the church.

The Huili  church building is entered through the courtyard behind some businesses that face the street. The church owns the businesses (one is called the Gospel Snack Shop or

something like that) and rents them for income.

We showed up without notice just when a small meeting was about to begin in the balcony area. We were greeted first with kindly curiosity. Their interest and enthusiasm grew as we explained our reason for being there and showed them the “Esther Nelson’s China” photobook that traveled in the back pocket of my vest.

They told us that there had been an old missionary house where the altar of the church is now, and they thought that must have where Esther Nelson and Flora Mae Duncan lived.

Perhaps that was Esther’s house, but I’m not sure becasue a letter from that time says they lived in a house behind the chapel, which was a different building.

Around town later, we showed a 1949 photo of the chapel building and asked a number of people in the streets or in shops where the chapel building was–the former bank building that the Baptists bought to use for classes and other gatherings besides the usual church services.
Finally, someone put the pieces together and pointed us to a place a few hundred yards down the street from the church building. The old building isn’t there any more, but in the courtyard, you can see the top edge of an old house over a wall. It’s in the right place, in the right courtyard behind the former site of the right building, so it might have been Esther’s house. It wasn’t accessible at the time I spotted it.

White building is where chapel used to be

Roof of old house, just visible over long low wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there are more Huili Church photos too.

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My travel photos may be viewed at my Shutterfly Share Site.
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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here.
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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

East meets west

by noel.piper on May 10, 2012 in Asia, Europe with No comments

You may have thought that when I came to Europe, I was leaving the  Esther Expedition behind for a while. Not possible. Esther’s world seems to follow me wherever I go.

Joann, my travel companion in China in March, had been fascinated to discover that the Lutheran World Federation in the 1940s operated a charter plane, which they named the St. Paul. Ever since then, she’s been researching the history and story of the Lutheran Airline, as she called it.

Now here’s where east meets west (if you use your imagination). Earlier this week for the second leg of our flight to Geneva, the carrier was a regional affiliate of Lufthansa.

After we arrived, as soon as I had Internet, I emailed Joann: “There is a Lutheran airline–Augsburg Airways–and here’s the plan of salvation they make available to each passenger.” (Augsburg is to Lutherans as Westminster is to Presbyterians–Lutheran churches, colleges, publishers, nursing homes named Augsburg, and now apparently an airline!)

Some discussion of the name followed. Augsburg Airways is obviously ELCA, because LCMS would have been Concordia. Air is good–it’s appropriate that Christians should meet in the air, doncha think? But why Airways when we know there’s just one way?

Enough!

Here’s the scoop Joann just posted on the real flying Lutherans–the ones in China.

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Don’t miss the giveaways for this Europe trip:

You can see photos from this trip, as they’re uploaded, at my Shutterfly Share Site.
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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here.
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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I had.
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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

Esther Expedition: Shanghai neighbors?

by noel.piper on April 13, 2012 in Asia with No comments

Esther Expedition

Way back at the beginning of March (seems months ago), the first amazing discovery of the Expedition was the house that used to be the Lutheran Hostel. Esther stayed there in 1924 when she entered China for the first time.

Here’s an article about a house of similar age. Compare my pictures of the Lutheran Hostel with those in the story. The houses could have had the same designer and been built at the same time, with the former hostel as the smaller, less elegant sister . . . tile entry floor . . . grand stairway . . . bikes parked under stairs . . . arched windows . . .

It’s not hard to imagine that the story of the Lutheran house parallels that of the formerly grand house in Sue Anne Tay’s article, especially in the last few decades.

I wish I knew if “her” house is in the same neighborhood as “mine.”

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

Hit the track, Jack

by noel.piper on April 13, 2012 in Asia, Europe with 3 Comments

Only a couple of days ago, I revealed my secret love of train travel.  In that video of my rail travel in China, I threw in some train-window countryside views.

That’s one of the beauties of going by train–seeing the land, the cities, the people, the cows–whatever’s near the tracks. You can see some of that traveling by car, but not so much if you’re the driver.

Anyway, just after my train post, this one caught my eye at Gadling, one of the travel blogs I follow: Six of the Most Scenic Train Trips in Europe.

I’ve done their #6–London to Edinburgh. And I’ve traveled in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and France–though not on the particular lines recommended in the post.

So . . . Trains . . . Beautiful scenery . . . and I’ll be in Europe next month . . .

Whether or not I can travel the particular routes, I am hereby reminded to try to get in some train time. There’s so much to see.

QUESTION FOR YOU: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAIN ROUTE, THAT YOU’VE TAKEN OR WISH YOU COULD SOMEDAY??

Chork, chork, chork

by noel.piper on April 12, 2012 in Asia with 1 Comment

Sounds like a three-stooges laugh? Nope. It’s the revolutionary way for an inept American to avoid starvation in various countries on the other side of the Pacific.

Note: The use of this tool is strictly forbidden for anyone on the American in China weight loss plan.

 

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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

Esther Expedition: All aboard! (or whatever it is in Chinese)

by noel.piper on April 12, 2012 in Asia with 5 Comments

 

Esther Expedition

You wouldn’t know by my history how much I love train travel. Schedule pressures almost always seem to interfere. But I did some compensating during March in China.

It was just 2006–only 7 years ago–that Paul Theroux published Riding the Iron Roooster: By Train Through China.  The “iron rooster” steam engines may have been built to last, as Theroux said, but they haven’t.

Diesel locomotives have superseded them. Even more amazing is the network of high speed trains that is functioning and burgeoning. Everywhere Joann and I traveled, we could see mighty concrete columns marching into the distance, ready to shoulder overpasses and tracks.

I’m a bit jealous. Joann took the Super high speed train from Beijing down to Shanghai at the beginning of our expedition. And from Shanghai, she took the Maglev out to the airport to meet me. Does that sound like a word made up out of magnetic and levitation? Probably because it is. Imagine what that train is like. I’m still just imagining.

Just stop and think about these high speed, super high speed, and levitating trains. Just 8-10 years ago, the nation was puffing around in steam locomotives like the little engine that could!

As far as I can tell, the procedures and (not-)ease of buying tickets haven’t kept pace with the trains themselves. I get that word  from Joann and others. This is just one of the things that makes me so thankful for Joann taking a month to baby me through China. I couldn’t understand what I heard. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t get where I wanted to go. I certainly couldn’t read schedules or buy tickets. I couldn’t be sure whether any hotel I might have chosen was by the hour or by the night.

Even more important, without Joann–who took on Esther’s story as if it were her own research–I wouldn’t have had any of the conversations that have led us closer to Esther and her life.

Joann may have found in Sichuan the seeds of her own book project. I can imagine a book someday called something like “The Bells of China” or “Can’t Burn this Bell” or “If I had a Bell” or “Bell Boldness” or . . . I’ll let you know when I think of other titles.

Survival Chinese Lessons (Growing in Christ)

Unlike me, the China baby, Joann has lived and worked in China so long, she’s even put together a handful of lessons in basic Chinese to help people like me. Oh all right, not like me. Survival Chinese Lessons is great for people who actually pick it up and spend some time in it.

Okay. Back to trains. Joann’s ahead of me with the super high speed and the Maglev. I gotta go back. I’m already making my list and checking it twice.

[CORRECTION: I DID TAKE THE SUPER HIGH SPEED TRAIN, BETWEEN GUANGZHOU AND SHENZHEN. NO WONDER IT WAS HARD SHOOTING PICTURES FROM THE WINDOW. SO I'LL CROSS THAT OFF THE HAVEN'T-DONE-IT-YET LIST. BUT I'M STILL WORKING ON THE LIST.]

Putting this video together makes me itch to hit the rails again.

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on some of the product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

Esther Expedition: Wearing my carry-on

by noel.piper on April 10, 2012 in Asia, Recommended with 5 Comments

Esther Expedition

Anyone who’s looked at pictures of the expedition must have noticed that in nearly every picture I’m wearing the same vest, whether I was conferring with party secretaries or slurping soup or goofing off. If you couldn’t see the vest, it was probably hiding under another layer on a cold day.

Yep, every day for a month, I was wearing my used-to-be-brand-new Scottevest. It’s still like new after hard wear and several launderings. And yes, I ordered a men’s vest, because it fit me better and it’s longer in the back–better coverage, you know.

Before this trip, I’ve used my favorite shoulder purse or backpack for carry-on and daypack purposes. In them, everything has a place and I make an effort to put each thing back in its place. This is an important ADHD tool. Otherwise, I’m back inside, hunting my whatever while everyone else is already out the door and on the way to the airport.

But when either of those bags is loaded, it’s not long before I’m experiencing every ounce via a nagging, squirmy ache between my shoulder blades.

With the Scottevest, I wear my carry-on and don’t even notice the weight (not a bad addition to my American-in-China weight loss plan–”weight lifting” all day without feeling the extra effort).

Another big plus is security. A few years ago my prescription eyeglasses were picked out of my backpack in the chaotic push-and-shove of a market far away from home. After spending the rest of that trip not able to read, I’ve been slightly paranoid when everything important is riding out of sight on my back. With the Scottevest, I can opt to have nothing in back, and hug everything in front. Besides, I think all those pockets would leave a thief  confused and dizzy.

There are less expensive travel vests out there, but I rate the Scottevest high above the others I’ve seen because the Scottevest pockets are integral to the design, not sewn onto the outside. Maybe this wouldn’t matter to svelter people than I, but I don’t need any additional bubbly bulges.

Scottevest advertises 22-24 pockets. I never did manage an exact count. I just know that every couple of days, you could have heard me shouting, “I found another one!”  Photos of the vest aren’t helpful for trying to count, because there are pockets hidden within pockets.

In my vest, every pocket (that I finally discovered) was populated with pretty much the same items every day. I knew exactly where to reach for my passport or chapstick or afternoon meds or whatever. That’s a lot of mind-easing for an ADD brain that’s always subconsciously tense wondering what it’s forgotten this time.

The vest came with a card in each pocket suggesting how to use that particular pocket. But I suppose each “vesty” comes up with his or her own most convenient uses. And each trip has its own needs. Here’s how I used mine for this China research expedition.

 

Vest Front

Upper outside pocket #1: Business card case. Current public transport ticket and/or multi-travel card. Hotel room key or card.

Upper outside pocket #2: Sunglasses case. Petzl headlamp–about the smallest out there. It’s handy during electric outage or anytime a flashlight is needed–especially when it’s right there at hand in its pocket.

“Handwarmer” pocket #1: Antibacterial wipes. Bandanna to use as towel, sweat wiper, napkin, personal-sized table cloth, etc., etc. Tissue packet–always at hand when t.p. isn’t where you expect it to be. And there’s still room to warm a hand.

“Handwarmer” pocket #2: Available for the unexpected–and for warming a hand.

 

Inside left side

Upper “phone” pocket: Extra camera batteries, memory card, flash drive.

Pen pocket: My favorite sort of pen.

Lower “ID” pocket: Sweetener packets, since apparently nobody but me needs them in China.

Deep pocket: Water bottle. Kindle. Umbrella. Journal (not pictured–see what I mean about losing things if I don’t put them where they belong?). Magic Wand Scanner in its hard case.

Shallower pocket on front of deep pocket: Passport, Boarding pass (not pictured), my favorite travel wallet.

 

Inner right side

Pen pocket: another pen or a pencil

Phone Pocket: phone

Side-zip pocket below phone pocket: Spider mini-tripod. Camera (not pictured because it’s taking the picture) in its wrap-around case.

Big zipper pocket: All the stuff that usually is in the “cosmetics” section of my purse–chapstick, toothbrush, lotion, eye drops, lozenges, etc.

 

 ”back pocket”

This pocket is the bottom half of the vest back, side seam to side seam, zipper to the bottom hem. There may be 20-something pockets, but this is the one that makes people say, “Oh, wow.” ( or “ha ha” or “flat-butt”).

This was the perfect place to carry and protect Esther Nelson’s China, the Shutterfly photobook that was our reference/reminder of specific details to look for and a wonderful conversation starter that yielded unexpected stories and connections.

I also discovered that on a long bus or train ride, I could stuff my back-support cushion (a cheap throw cushion) in that pocket. It was just the right position, and wouldn’t let me leave it behind when the ride was done.

 

Message to the folks at Scottevest:

You’ve created a nearly perfect vest for travel. After wearing the vest all day every day for a month, though, I wished for just a couple of adjustments and 1 addition.

Addition:

I wish I’d brought along a lightweight, fold-up backpack for the occasional item (acquired in the middle of a day) that was too bulky or poky to fit in a vest pocket. Maybe that would be a bonus you could add to a vest purchase.

Adjustments:

I’d really have appreciated if the main front zipper were a 2-way, opening from the bottom when needed. Even a loose-fitting vest, when fully packed, becomes snug. It would be more comfortable and less strain in the vest, especially when sitting, if it could be zipped up from the bottom a few inches.

If each zipper pull had a rounded loop where it attaches to the zipper, it would pull more easily from whichever angle it was grasped. With the square loop, I often had to juggle the zipper around to get it straight so it it wouldn’t hang up.

If the deep pocket had an elastic strip sewed into the vest side of the pocket with sections (like in one of the hand warmer pockets), the deep pocket would hold water bottle, umbrella, etc. upright. This would be good for the fit and hang of the vest and for ease in quickly finding the right item.

One of the beauties of the Scottevest is that it’s adaptable to each person’s preferences for pocket use. S0-o-o-o how about if the key holder and clip with lens cleaner were fastened into the vest by clips and rings and if several or all pockets had rings so the wearer can choose the pocket to fasten the key ring or lens cleaner clip into? As it is now, the cleaner clip was not where I wanted it and I kept getting tangled up with its cord.

My travel companion liked my vest so much that I left it in China with her. So I need to get another one before my next trip. Since I’m almost always too hot, I think I’ll go for the lightweight vest this time.

 

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As photos from the Esther Expedition photos are uploaded, you can see them anytime at my Esther Nelson Shutterfly share site. There’s a map there too, of our expedition locations.

__________

Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

__________

If you make a purchase after you click on some product links in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

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I hope you’ll also visit my other blog–NoelPiper.com

The American in China diet

by noel.piper on April 2, 2012 in Asia with 14 Comments

Addition: If you don’t apply #11, all may be lost–except weight, that is.

My month in China revealed to me a new weight loss plan. Yes, there are already too many diets out there, but hey, summer’s coming and we’re always hoping something new will make the difference this time. Also, I know there’s already a Chopsticks Diet. But that plan is Japanese and mine’s Chinese.

Here are the rules, based on eating at streetside cafes in Sichuan, China. Remember, in China, it’s family style all the way. (You’re on your own adapting the plan for home.)

THE  AMERICAN  IN  CHINA  DIET

1. Chopsticks are the only utensil you may use for eating, no matter how inept you are. In fact, the more likely you are to make a fool of yourself, the better. That in itself is an appetite inhibitor. No stabbing of food is allowed. The only exception to this chopsticks-only rule is that you may use a spoon for soup broth if a spoon is offered without your asking, and looking pitiful is not allowed. Also, there are no finger foods in this diet–chopsticks all the way. (Survival tip: Cheap wooden chopsticks have better friction than fancy plastic or ivory-looking ones.)

2. Eat from whatever you want that is put in front of you. But  don’t pig out on just one thing; remember all the dishes are for everyone. Be polite.

3. From the meat dishes, choose the pieces that aren’t mostly fat. Don’t worry, that’s not rude. Most of the Chinese friends at the table love the fat pieces.

4. If you have any say in what’s ordered at a restaurant, put in a request for vegetables. Even if they’re cooked in more oil than you’d normally use, they’re good for you and tasty. I loved the stir-fried greens.

5. There’s no clean-plate prize. You don’t have to eat all the rice that’s in the bowl at your place. But if you do, it’s no big deal. You don’t have to eat every  bite of every dish you try. But if you do, it’s no big deal.

6. Now, here’s a biggie. It goes against everything I’d tell you in any other cross-cultural situation. In this plan, you must hold onto every bit of American table manners you’ve learned. Do not adapt to Chinese table manners. Do not hold your rice bowl up to your mouth and slide the last bit of rice in with the side of your chopsticks. Do not hunch down with your chin practically in your bowl. Do not slurp up your noodles. If you don’t adapt to those Chinese styles, you’ll have to slow down to eat really carefully to keep from dropping rice and slippery potstickers and greasy sauce onto your shirt. The only exception to this anti-cultural rule is with a bowl of soup: After you’ve used your chopsticks to eat all the pieces, and if no spoon is offered for the broth, you may pick up the bowl and drink the broth.

7. Especially in Sichuan, go for the dishes that are at least one notch spicier than your comfort zone. This will numb your taste buds, which decreases appetite.

8. If food is offered that you’ve never eaten before, you must try it. That includes, but is not limited to: pig snout, deer tendons, cross-sections of octopus arms, fungus water. . . .

9. Here’s another biggie. When everyone else is finished eating, you’re done too. Put down those chopsticks, no matter how much you want more. If you’re still hungry, stop at the market on your way back to your hotel and pick up some fruit. You are not required to use chopsticks when you’re eating your fruit.

10. If you’re a tourist, I probably don’t need to add this, but I will anyway. Walk. Walk. Walk.

11. Eat Chinese meals. Do not set foot into an import shop, where you’ll find too many of the things that tempt you most. I don’t even dare name them.

So, to summarize the most important points:

  1. Use chopsticks only.
  2. Retain American table manners.
  3. Stop when everyone else is finished.
  4. Walk. Walk. Walk.
  5. Eat Chinese food.

* * * * *

Before you ask, yes I did follow this plan even before I identified it as a plan. And yes, I did drop some pounds. (Thanks for noticing, Char.)

 

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Subscribe to Tell Me When To Pack. Use the links to the right or click here. 

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If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I probably have used personally or wish I did. 

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