Western Women who date and marry asian men stick together. I’ve mentioned it a few times but I’m a member of a group called WWAM and I have met many, many amazing women over the years from it. Since becoming
Young China – A Review
Us China expats are an arrogant lot. Succeeding in China is rough and long-term expats see many friends over the years who can’t handle it, or hate it, and leave. That gives us a sense of that we are “survivors”
Living a Cashless Life in China — Firsthand Experience
You may have read recently about how China leads the world in mobile payment. How people are giving up their bills and change for their more convenient smart phones. How even Chinese airports are striving to become the first cashless
When Putin Comes to Town
The acronym on everyone’s lips in Xiamen these past few weeks is BRICS. It stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Why and how these five random countries decided to team up is anyone guess (because I don’t
Thousand Character Chinese Classic
Like I do at the end of every year, I have my students in speaking class become teachers. Their final exam is to “teach class” for 15 minutes. (Not a presentation, but actually teach.) This is always super fun. Students
What it’s Like Taking a Intensive Chinese Class
So I just got back from a four-week intensive Chinese class, the second time I’ve taken one of these, and for those of you who are thinking of doing the same thing, I thought I’d write about my experience so
Hot Dragon Boat Guys
Dragon Boat Holiday is coming around the corner, meaning a little three-day holiday for us. This will be my seventh Dragon Boat day in China but I have a little guilty confession: I have never seen a dragon boat race.
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
Hiking the Majestic Yellow Mountain
Not all famous places are worth the hype. The Terracotta Warriors? Kinda lame in person. The Great Wall? S’okay if you can find a quiet day. Hong Kong’s Star Ferry? Made me seasick. But there is one place that is
Watching China Change Through My Class
Since I got here almost 7 years ago, I have made all my own lesson plans–dozens over the years. They have been tested, honed, and perfected where I know they will get the maximum class participation while teaching something useful.