About us
The Echoes of Manchu writers:
Randy (strangeguitars) spends half of his time in Northeast China running an English school teaching elementary school students how to speak fluent English before they enter middle school, and the other half in cyberspace stirring things up with his linguistic superheroes on Language Log and ADS-L.
He’s the author of one book so far and has several others in the works. When he’s not teaching or writing, he sometimes writes and records music! Feel free to write him with your challenges, arguments, or admonitions: strangeguitars *at* gmail (you know the rest).
Sima (司马) is an ancient and historic family name which is sometimes associated with dusty old records and deeds long since forgotten. For a former music impresario and one-time mortgage clerk, this seems highly appropriate.
For the past five years, he has lived within spitting distance of the remains of Huang Taiji and, as soon as anyone is able to find the precise location, will pay his respects in the appropriate fashion.
Syz is the owner of Beijing Sounds and a sometime Beijing resident. You might get a tickle of paranoia from the fact that he writes anonymously, hiding behind the initials of the Mandarin name his grandfather-in-law gave him rather than using the (vanilla) name his parents gave him. But don’t sneeze. He’s actually somewhat even-keeled and even accessible — through bjshengr *at* gmail etc.
Syz’s interests are in the direction of linguistics and the occasional metaphysics. Despite the economic freedom afforded him by the success of Beijing Sounds, he still maintains his job at a gargantuan international company, where he points out synergies and conducts meetings.
