Last year NPR ran a
fantastic radio series on traveling in
China. The series writer Bob Gifford traveled across the country to bring the changes happening there to light. Near
the end of his 3,000-mile journey, on the western side of the Gobi Desert, he found the
unexpected: a bowling alley. The alley is a symbol of the regional capital’s new middle class, and of
the new standard of living that many Chinese now realize as part of their daily lives. It’s a fascinating story,
kepping in theme with some of our other posts today.