Despite my resolution to stay away from Shanghai I found myself there yet again this past weekend. There is just so much stuff going on all the time there. While last time was more literary and humanitarian focused, this trip was all about the arts. Let me start with a
A Hick Loose in Shanghai: Unsavory Elements
My timing to visit my friends in Shanghai really couldn’t have been better. Not only did I get to join my friend in an orphanage opening, I also got to attend a book reading for the new book: Unsavory Elements: Stories of Foreigners Loose in China. It’s a series of short
Visiting my First Orphanage
I’ve been missing my Shanghai friends and decided to visit them this past weekend. I told my friends Hannah, a Brit I met several years ago when she came to Lin’an to teach, and she happened to mention that she was going to the grand opening of an orphanage she
Bad China Day
I know I’m pretty positive about living in China and for the most part I really do love it. But there is a thing that every foreigners has to deal with, and it’s called a Bad China Day. It’s a day that starts off normal enough, but one thing sets
KTV — A Users Guide
I want to talk about a big part of Chinese nightlife culture: KTV. The chinese word for Karaoke. These places aren’t bars or a silly thing to do ironically, but a huge business and the place to celebrate any special event like a birthday, graduation or just for fun on
Best. Final Exam. Ever.
I think tests are meaningless. Students cram right before (or make a cheat sheet) and the minute the exam is over, the promptly forget just about everything they learned. But I’m a teacher and need to play in the system that requires final exams. But instead of a test, I
A Wet, Windy Night in Shanghai
I went to Shanghai over Thanksgiving weekend for a little break and to see my friends. Thursday night we headed for The Bund, the famous strip of Shanghai architecture. The weather sucked, pouring rain and winds, and as we got closer to the waterfront, the wind only picked up more
Happy Turkey Day
Most of the American teachers here didn’t even realize Thanksgiving was at hand (“When is it again?” asked one America…last night) but thanks to my culture class I’ve been on the ball with holidays as my students are interested in learning the traditions of western holidays. Aside from the history
Teddy Bear Thai–Honest to Goodness Real Place
In my trip to Shanghai last weekend my friend asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner. Shanghai has so many options I was overwhelmed. “How about Thai?” he suggested. Sounds good to me. “How about Teddy Bear Thai,” he said. Sounds very good to me. Yes, a teddy
We Got a Subway Now!! (The More Delicious Kind)
Things have changed a lot in my little boonie city since I first arrived. It used to be I would go out to a dirt/rubble road (with chickens and dogs running freely) to a little shack or food cart to get my dinner and pray I didn’t get food posioning