It’s no secret I’m not a fan of Xiamen food. The specialty here is seafood, which is my least favorite kind of food in general. And the other food here, the common dishes like Japanese tofu, sweet and sour pork
Xiamen, China — An Intro to my New Hometown
I thought I’d give you a small tour of my new hometown, so you can understand the place that I’m now living. I’ve been here before, way back in 2012, but I had no inkling at that time I’d be
The Fit Life in China
One of the things I love, love, love about living in China is how fit you get. Some foreigners come to China and get fatter, and I just don’t even get how that’s possible. You need to walk everywhere, the
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
10 Signs You've Lived in China a Long Time
I’m fast approaching my five year anniversary in China and I find it almost laughable when people ask me if I’m accustomed to life in China. If I wasn’t I should just pack it in at this point! In fact,
One Little Character Makes All the Difference
I went out to dinner the other night with my Chinese friend who can’t speak English. I ordered a few of my favorite dishes and told him to choose some as well. But I had to be careful with him
Somethings you Can Count on
There are a few things you can count on being a teacher. During mid-autumn festival you get a lot of mooncakes (basically small little fruit cakes) and during Dragon Boat Festival, which took place yesterday, you get zongzi. Zongzi is
Hot Pot–Perfect for a Cold Chilly Night
Here in Southern China, wintertime temps regularly get to the zeros. It wouldn’t be a problem, my hometown in America gets much colder than that, but things here are aren’t heated. Classrooms, restaurants and most public building don’t have heat.
Eating Sugar Right From the Cane
I’m a candy freak. Super crazy candy freak. Once in college my friend told me he would give me a thousand dollars if I gave up candy for one month. I didn’t even try. So yeah, candy freak. There is
Making Noodles and Dumplings: A Photo Essay
One of my new classes invited me to their dumpling party to celebrate the New Years. Eating dumplings and noodles is tradition to bring luck to the new year. As students don’t have a kitchen at their disposal they rented