I’m human, and even though I get annoyed at “listicles” I can’t help but click on any list called “25 Truly Amazing Places You Must Visit Before you Die,” or “27 Surreal Places to Visit Before you Die!” On almost all those lists is the Danxia Rainbow Rocks of Zhangye.
Spelunking in Mati Temple
I’ve seen a lot of amazing temples in my time in China. One of the most amazing was the Hanging Monastery in Datong, China. It’s built on the side of a sheer cliff face, and is holding up thanks to a few beams and walkways. But the Hanging Monastery has
Summer Reads About China
It’s summer, the season of reading, and I thought I’d recommend a few books you can bring with you on your travels. Now these book recommendations are for newbies about China. If you are a China enthusist you have probably read all of these long ago, but if you haven’t,
Ultimate Frisbee in China
From time to time you’ve seen me talk about Ultimate Frisbee on my blog. I talked about playing Frisbee in my fit life, and I went on about how Frisbee is gonna kill us alllllllll. Despite not actually playing a game (I’m too scared after it took not four weeks
The Pressures of a Culture Not Your Own
Because I’m a foreigner living in China, people often say how lucky I am to not be chinese. They don’t mean it in a negative way, but usually when some pressure is building and they don’t like it. Like, pressure to get married. “You’re so lucky to not be Chinese.
Lantern Festival: Such a Pretty Name for Such a Loud Day
The Spring Festival holiday officially ends on the 15th day of the lunar new year, with the Lantern Festival. This is a day when you look at beautiful lanterns, answer some riddles written on lanterns and eat a special food called tang yuan. And oh yeah, fireworks. I think y’all
Spring Festival in Pics or How I Maybe Went a Little Overboard in Preperation
So Spring Festival has come and gone. Though technically not finished (that will be on March 5th with the Lantern Festival) the break is over and classes have started up again. I usually get the hell out of China during this time period because it is such a pain to
Uncivilized Foreign Tourists Running Rampant in China
Some things are too funny to let pass unremarked upon. One of the latest gems comes from the People’s Daily, a government run newspaper. Lately, and with very good reason, Chinese tourists have been in the news. In 2013 a teenager wrote graffiti on a 3,500 year old Egyptian temple.
Awwww F*&@k It’s Chinese New Years Again
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: being in China for Chinese New years (more aptly named Spring Festival) is a nightmare. It’s the largest human migration and more than a billion people travel to see their family. Of course they can’t all travel on one day, so
Chinglish Time
Long time, no chinglish. But I’ve still been documenting some of the funnier chinglish signs I’ve come across. Now that I can understand the chinese I find them even more funny at the way they mistranslate things.