Surprising things I learned to do in china
I still find it difficult to conceive of myself as an adult human. Some days, when it’s going really well– and my hair is working, and there’s no dog hair on my clothes, and I remembered an umbrella in the rain–I think, yeah, I can do this. But then there are other days, like yesterday when I stood in front of my mom’s blinking coffee machine hitting buttons over and over trying to get a freaking cup of coffee. Or when someone rings the doorbell and I’m still in my pajamas/underwear and so I wrap a blanket around myself instead … Continue reading Surprising things I learned to do in china
Roll, Roll, Roll Your Clothes
So you’re going to China. What should you bring? What sorts of clothing is acceptable? What can I buy there? What should I make sure I bring with me? Such were the questions I asked before my first stint in … Continue reading Roll, Roll, Roll Your Clothes
Up Up and Away
I love packing for trips. When I was little, I would have my clothes laid out, rolled, and then packed weeks before the trip. I would plan out three outfits to wear in the days before we left, proud of my little self for planning ahead, but inevitably I would have to dig through my neatly packed bag to find something, leaving the remaining clothes disheveled. This would not do (plus, you know, I had time), so I would unpack, re-roll, and repack. Inevitably this cycle occurred several times in the days leading up to our departure. It was exhausting. A … Continue reading Up Up and Away
Eyes Wide Open
There’s this weird phenomenon in China. Among women in China. Specifically, women engaging in the photo-taking known as the Selfie. As in America, the duckface is prolific. But more than that, taking photos for women is often about making their face the least visible possible, while it still being a photo of their face. Palms are pressed against cheeks; peace signs are held up obscuring the faces of girls who feel their cheeks are too fat. Eyes are held exaggeratedly wide. There are apps, in fact, where you can alter the size, shape, and color of your eyes (you can change the length … Continue reading Eyes Wide Open
A Dark Road Indeed
If you’re looking for a portrayal of China from the other side (not as a tourist), be ready for the heavy truth that Ma Jian drops in his novel The Dark Road. There is a reason this book is banned on the Mainland. Not everything is roses–in fact, hardly anything is. Ma Jian writes a gripping and frequently nauseating account of the policies implemented during the aftermath of the Great Leap Forward. Family planning policies enforced with the One Child policy led to thousands of brutal forced abortions daily, regardless of the age of the fetus or the health of the mother. Wealth … Continue reading A Dark Road Indeed
Lost
If you’re looking for a truly delightful read, look no further. Lost On Planet China, by J. Maarten Troost is truly hilarious. I may be biased–stories about foreigners in China are especially near and dear to my heart–but Troost’s self-deprecating, colloquial narration gives the reader a tragi-comedically accurate idea of what a day in the life in China feels like for a foreigner. From incomprehensible altercations with strangers to stampeding train-goers to massages-turned-sex, Troost’s adventures in China convey the standard fare experienced in cities from Beijing to Kunming, and the little islands and village ‘getaways’ in-between. Be prepared to chuckle out … Continue reading Lost
On Going To China
The first time I went to China, it was at the start of the first academic year since I’d graduated. As many of my decisions are, it was not a fully formed plan or really any plan at all that led … Continue reading On Going To China
Finding God
As an atheist, there are very few things that bring me close to god. But, like any good rule-follower, I have exceptions, and the place where I am most likely swayed is with music. Classical music. Here are a few pieces that are transcendent. You should probably listen to them with your speakers turned up as high as they can go, surround sound if you can, and imagine you’re inside: a waterfall; a hyperlapse of a bustling Hong Kong cityscape; or flying over the Grand Canyon (not in a plane or anything, just you). Since I associate music very strongly with the … Continue reading Finding God
Put A Frog In It
I love having friends in different time-zones. Because at any moment, some crazy event or adventure could be happening in any one of their stories, and I get to experience it alongside them, regardless of what time of day is … Continue reading Put A Frog In It
How I Learned To Pee
I was never super freaked out by the squat pot. I mean, I prefer peeing outside in the woods or something, but in a country where even the national parks are packed with tourists, there’s not really an ‘outside’ to pee … Continue reading How I Learned To Pee
Ask Me Another 