As a (attempting) minimalist, and a traveler who has no permanent home base, I try to keep as little stuff as possible, which is quite a feat given that I have natural pack rat tendencies, and enjoy collections (hello spoons of the world). Books are one of the most common
I Entered a Puzzle Competition! (You can make fun of me all you want.)
I still have a few weeks of summer holiday left, and since I’m stuck in Xiamen, I decided to try to make a staycation out of it. You know, basically trying to do as many new activities and eating at as many different restaurants as I can. So why not
Sometimes You Just Don’t China
Spring festival is the biggest holiday in China and a really good chance to dig into and participate in Chinese culture. So what did I do? Got a buttload of KFC and played board games with foreigners all night. Cause sometimes you just don’t China. I mean, I’ve been here
I’m Back *Exhales Deeply*
So I’m back in the big silly and it feels so good to be here. of course I’m at my new school in Xiamen, and as of yet I haven’t really met too many people (I’ve been dealing with jet-lag, setting up my new apartment and meeting my new bosses.)
Chinese Things in America that Aren’t Actually Chinese
So I’m still stuck in America. It’s been a month so culture shock is a thing of the past (people are back to being assholes and driving like maniacs.) Basically I’m homesick for China. Very homesick, and to make myself feel better I’ve been looking for Chinese things in America.
Trying Not to Be THAT Person
I think we’ve all had a friend who went to England for the summer, and came back with a terrible fake accent. Or the totally white friend (who can’t speak another language and has never been out of the country) who says Puerto Rico with deep rolling R’s and a strong
No One is Staring, But Everyone's Paying Attention–and Other Culture Shocks of Being in America
So I’ve been home a few days and it’s definitely weird. Here are some of the biggest things I’ve noticed. No one is looking at me, but everyone’s paying attention I’ve said again and again how much I dislike being stared at in China. What I haven’t said though, is
Celebrating the Red Sox win in China
I ran across this hilarious video (thanks to reddit/r/china) from a Red Sox fan who went out to celebrate the Red Sox World Series win in Shanghai. While back in America it ended late at night, it was just about noon here in China. And Donnie (his real name) takes
Summer Magic
I’ve lamented not traveling this summer, but as the summer continues, and winds down, I can say quite happily I do not regret it. I’ve had an amazing time this summer, which I’ll write about more in the upcoming weeks, and incident after incident has reaffirmed that staying here was
So What Should I Say?
I’m not quite sure what to write about my short trip to America. A lot of my friends and family read this blog, and well, I don’t want to insult them or make them feel like I was unhappy to see them. (Because I wasn’t. I was very glad to