I passed by a friendly woman whose family I buy fruit from and stopped for a minute to chat. She was standing in front of a cooler she had dragged out from her store a little down a side street
100 Years of the CCP and All I Got was This Lousy Light Show
Okay, I click-baited you with that title. It wasn’t a lousy light show at all, it was quite spectacular but “…and all I got was this spectacular light show” isn’t how the t-shirt goes, so there you have it. So
I Wouldn’t Expect to Like This But…
There is a secret food in China that people in the south eat almost everyday, yet in other countries it’s virtually impossible to find outside of a dim sum restaurant or Chinatown. That food? The slimy, squishy but amazingly delicious
What Does $12 Buy in China?
I went to the store to just pick up one thing and of course walked away with a bagful. On the walk back home I mentally berated myself for buying too much, and spending too much money. But, being as
I Won “Favorite Teacher!”
College has started and students have come back to school after being gone for 6 months, so I wasn’t surprised when a few students contacted me to ask if I was still on campus. But I was surprised when they
Why I Can’t Watch Crazy Rich Asians in China
Unless your still using dial-up internet in the backwoods of Montana, you must have heard about the new movie Crazy Rich Asian. Based on the book by Singapore-American Kevin Kwan, it is the first all Asian cast in 25 years
Chinese Wedding (with video!)
Remember those students I call “my babies?” The ones I taught for four years and watched them grow up? The ones who stayed with me when I was in the hospital 5 years ago? The one’s that sobbed into my
Starbucks in China
This semester I have been focusing on polishing my book and finding an agent, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at Starbucks. I know, I know, I can hear you groan from here. “Starbucks, really?!” Especially as Xiamen
Book Review: Expat Jimmy
Expat Jimmy is the latest book from blogger and writer Travis Lee. I will start with an apology because I’m a total jerk. Travis sent me the book ages ago, and I read it, and then I completely forgot about
How to Type Chinese on the Computer and Other Questions
I’ve had a lot of repeated questions about China and while many are based on stereotypes (no, most people don’t eat dogs and Chinese animal activists are making sure that the small little villages that still do cease forever) some