There is this magical, mystical website in China called Taobao. It is one of the world’s largest e-commerce websites. Imagine Amazon and ebay put together. You do all your shopping on one website but you buy from individual merchants, and
You Win This Round, Color!
I’ve already extolled the benefits of having a Chinese best friend (as opposed to having a Chinese boyfriend) and one of the benefits is Color and I having crazy conversations. One of these conversations happened almost two years ago when
When Staying Home is the Wise Choice
This week is National week, the only major week-long holiday of the entire school year. I’m flush with cash from my paycheck and airfare reimbursement, and dying to get out and travel, but I’m staying put this week and locking
How to Meet (Chinese) Guys in China
Jocelyn over at Speaking of China recently answered a question from a 30-year-old single western woman wondering how to meet chinese guys in Shanghai. Or, rather, Jocelyn didn’t exactly answer it herself as she wasn’t sure. Instead she asked a
Figuring out Chinese Modesty
China is a very traditional country and while Mao proclaimed more than 60 years ago that “Women hold up half the sky,” women are expected to play the more traditional role of having babies, taking care of the man, and
The Incestuous Group of Youtubers I Learn Chinese From
Awhile ago I came across a youtube clip done by two Chinese called Off The Great Wall. It’s Dan and Carmen, two young people who are Chinese but have spent most of their lives living abroad. They speak English natively
Taking Advantage of Big City Culture
I’ll admit for the most part I like living in small cities rather than big ones. Big cities, especially in China, have just too many people and too many cars. But there are some things I’m really enjoying about living
Makin' it Rain (with Chinese Characteristics)
Like I’ve said before the weather here has been pretty hellish. Shanghai has broken all sorts of weather records and Hangzhou has been named the hottest city in China right now. (And I get to live here. Yay.) According to
The Life of a Hermit
After all the hullabaloo of everyone leaving I decided to get all crotchety and become the Lin’an hermit. I only had one week before I was going to move to Hangzhou for the summer, so I decided to go full-blown
Left Alone in a Buddhist Temple
Three giant Buddhas, more than 10 feet tall, are staring down at me. Their half-closed eyes look like a smirk. “Laowai,” they seem to say looking at me and my friend Hannah standing in front of their alter, hands clasped