One of the first terms that every foreigner learns after landing in china is 老外 laowai, which means, essentially, foreigner. Even if a foreigner eschews every single other chinese word, they cannot avoid this one. That’s because it is hurled around so much whenever a foreigner is around, you cannot help
"Chinawood." Exploring Ancient China through Movie Sets
In college I moved to Los Angeles and spent my last semester working in a movie studio. Being an intern my job was sometimes to run around delivering things, and as a result I ended up waling around almost all the major movie studios. While I never got to sneak
The Friendly Way to Call Other People in China
On Facebook I recently linked to a Ted.com article about how speaking different languages affect your brain. In the article they use an example of Mandarin and how people address the family. In China there is no generic grandma, grandpa, uncle etc. Instead every person has a different name based
Mold problem? What Mold Problem?
So, remember when a year ago I wrote that there was a leak in the wall (coming from my bathroom) that was soaking through the concrete, and despite my repeated attempts at getting it fixed, nothing was done? And then remember when a few weeks ago, they came and fixed
Mid-Semester Life
Things are humming along, as they tend to do in the mid-semester mark. The flurry and excitement of the break and new semester has worn off, and the end of the semester is just a bit too far away to get worked up about yet. But life goes on in
You're on Color! (Our new bet)
A few months ago, I said that my best friend Color won a bet we had started almost two years prior. (My punishment is going to be that I have to cook thai food for him. It could have been worse!) A few years is a long time to continue
And the Winner is……….
……not me. So remember when I begged for you to vote for me in the Lotus Blossoms Award a few months ago. Well, the winner was announced and it was some other woman. (Ember Swift to be exact. She’s more than a blogger, but a rock star. How can I
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, I take many aspects of life in China, once considered
Bloggers Unite! How Blogging Has Enhanced my Life in China
Last Saturday night found me surrounded by women from ages 20-mid-40’s. Mostly from America, mostly old China hands, mostly into Chinese guys (either married to or interested in), mostly African-American. We had come from different places in China, a few even traveling for 5 hours by high speed train to
Getting Tricked by the Trickster
I’ve mentioned one of my former students Wendy several times on this blog. She is responsible for one of the best surprises I’ve ever helped pull off, and she’s even been to my hometown in America. She loves surprises, and tricking people and despite knowing that, she finally got me.