As a (attempting) minimalist, and a traveler who has no permanent home base, I try to keep as little stuff as possible, which is quite a feat given that I have natural pack rat tendencies, and enjoy collections (hello spoons of the world). Books are one of the most common
Book Review: Expat Jimmy
Expat Jimmy is the latest book from blogger and writer Travis Lee. I will start with an apology because I’m a total jerk. Travis sent me the book ages ago, and I read it, and then I completely forgot about it and never wrote about it. Total duh moment. Expat
Book Review: The Empress of Bright Moon
I consider myself to be a discerning consumer. I’m not highbrow, but I like shows that treat me like an intelligent person, like House of Cards or Game of Thrones, not things like dumb sitcoms or cheesy soaps. Or so I think. I recently realized when it comes down to
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,
F&$% You, Chinese!
Summer’s officially arrived and what am I doing everyday?! Studying for the HSK level 5 Chinese test. And not just studying but studying my ass off. I’ve never studied for something like this, and frankly it’s pissing me off. I’m not the most academically gifted student, never have been. I’ve
1 Year = 100 Books
Remember, awhile ago I said that I was keeping track of my reading for a year? Well, now that years over, let’s see how I did. Grand total: 100 books. Pretty amazing eh? Remember this was not a contest or a goal. I just wanted to record my normal, daily
This Explains a Few Things
You might have noticed I’ve been a little light on the blog posts lately. I typically average 3 posts a week, but for several weeks I’ve only managed a paltry 2. That’s because I’m busy. Crazy busy. This is the busiest semester I’ve had since coming to China. And I’m
Read 100 Book in a Year? Maybe…
I’ve been pretty quiet about, but I have decided for this year at least, that I wanted to keep track of the books I read. I’ve always been one of those annoying people who would bring books over to friends houses and read instead of play, and if I don’t
I Just Finished my First Chinese Novel!
I wanted to brag for minute and tell everyone that I just finished my first novel in Chinese. Okay, I admit, I’m using the term “novel” quite lightly. It’s not War and Peace or anything, rather a slim 46 page tome called I Really Want to Find Her. (It’s about
The Swiss Family Robinson are a Bunch of Jerks
Being an avid reader in a country that doesn’t use your native language can be a problem. To get good stuff to read I either have to download it, have it shipped to me, or go to a big city and spend a bunch of money on imported books. None