small town laowai

an Americanish life in backwater China

Page 10 of 19

Sorry, Americans. No fruit mooncakes for you.

Our first Mid-Autumn Festival in China was very memorable for a number of reasons, including a nice big #Chinafail. I was mostly having a blast learning about what would quickly become my favorite Chinese holiday. We learned about Chang-E, the… Continue Reading →

5 Reasons It’s Still Small Town Laowai

When we knew we’d be moving to Kunming, I was already thinking what many friends would soon ask me. “So, will it still be Small Town Laowai?” Yes, it will, and it is. Here’s why. 1. Years of small town experience… Continue Reading →

5 Surprises You’ll Encounter When You Travel to China

Today, I’m pleased to share a guest post with you, written by Yang Yang from Learn Mandarin Now. I’m sure if you have been to China, you can relate to these, and add some of your own. Enjoy! 5 Surprises You’ll… Continue Reading →

How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies in Just Two Months!

So, your spouse/child/roommate/classmate/self has requested that you make authentic chocolate chip cookies (i.e. NOT chopped Dove cookies). While your cosmic twin expends virtually no effort opening a pack of break-n-bakes in Alternative Universe America, you’ll be whipping up a batch… Continue Reading →

Commemorating the End of WWII at the Flying Tigers Museum

China is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. On Friday, a military parade in Beijing grabbed the whole world’s attention. Yesterday morning, on the opposite side of the country, my family and I went to… Continue Reading →

9 Noises that Wake You in China

No matter where you live, there are things that keep you from getting your ZZZs. Here are nine things that have disturbed our slumber while living in China. 1. Drinking games There’s nothing like old men shouting numbers in Cantonese… Continue Reading →

Monster Hunt: The Chinese Blockbuster You’ll Have to Wait to See

I really enjoyed this movie. Apparently, so did all of China. Monster Hunt became the biggest-grossing Chinese movie of all time during its first month in theaters, making $170 million in its first eight days alone. Our family finally went… Continue Reading →

My most favorite fruit in the whole wide world – jackfruit

In Thailand, durian is the King of Fruit, but in my world, jackfruit reigns supreme.  I had never even heard of jackfruit before moving overseas. Even after moving to Asia, it took me a while to try it. I think… Continue Reading →

9 Chinese words you’re saying wrong (and how to fix them)

Everyone’s talking about China these days…too bad it’s so hard to pronounce what they’re trying to say. Here are the top mistakes I hear English speakers make, and how to correct them. Important note! I’m a linguist and I think… Continue Reading →

Free chicks and lettuce at the mall!

I’m still getting used to living across the street from a mall. It’s weird to be walking distance away from a Burger King, a Uniqlo, and a Tesla dealership, to name a few modern Chinese shopping must-haves. I guess the… Continue Reading →

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