It’s no secret that in China is a bit of a police state.More than 2 million people monitor online activity and block all mention of sensitive topics and forbidden language. People who speak out against the government are silenced, and foreigners are warned to not discuss “the three T’s.” (Tibet,
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.
The Oldest Piece of Clothing I Use Everyday
Let’s get into the “way back ” machine. The year is 1996. I’m a mere sophomore in college, on a European backpacking adventure with my college roommate Amy. There have been three Wallace and Gromit short films, stop-motion animation done by a Aaardman Animation, a studio based in England. They
The Expat Life of Constant Goodbyes
Being an expat means your group of friends is constantly revolving. Being an English teacher means July is filled with tears and goodbyes and September is filled with hello’s. But in Xiamen, my friend circle includes more that just teachers which means they can leave at any time of the
How do my Chinese Students See Themselves?
Like most things in China, getting your schedule and class list is a last minute thing. Despite it being prepared months ago, I didn’t get my schedule until three days before class started. And I only got it that early because I bugged as many people as I could. (If
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
How to Manage a Writer’s Retreat in Your Hometown
How times flies! It seems like only yesterday I was announcing my writer’s retreat and here it is all over and done with. It was the first time I have attempted one of these in the place I live, and I was successful I thought I’d share my strategy with
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.
Nominated! Help a Girl Out!
So I was nominated for the lotus blossom award! It’s for bloggers who write about Chinese love, given by Jeff over at my-new-chinese-love.com. Please, please, PLEASE vote for me. It’s super easy, no registration or e-mail required. Just go to this website and click “Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker.” and hit