small town laowai

an Americanish life in backwater China

Page 12 of 19

My second favorite fruit in the whole wide world – mangosteen

This made my day. We stopped by our neighborhood fruit shop, and lo and behold, there was a nice big pile of mangosteens for sale! It’s the first time I’ve seen them this season, and they won’t be around for… Continue Reading →

What in the Middle Kingdom? 枇杷 Pipa (loquats)

Pipa are delicious fruit that remind me of apricots –same size, same texture, very similar flavor. You may have heard of these as loquats, which I only recently learned is what they’re most commonly called in English. They grow in bunches… Continue Reading →

15 signs we’re not in Guangxi anymore

China is a big country, and the regions here are quite diverse and distinct. I knew from previous trips to Yunnan that it was different from Guangxi, but now I’m living the differences. Here are 15 ways I can tell… Continue Reading →

Americans drive on the left and other truths I’ve learned

Years ago, I was having a conversation with my Malaysian friend, and we started talking about how Malaysia has a lot of British influence. “We drive on the right like they do,” my friend explained. “Wait, what?” I thought I… Continue Reading →

How many foreigners does it take to change a light bulb?

The bathroom light bulb burned out, and Eric went to go buy a new one. Simple, right? In theory, yes. But, the first shop didn’t have that particular kind of bulb. The next day he went a little further to… Continue Reading →

The Top 10 Ways to Learn Mandarin Chinese (Infographic from Learn Mandarin Now)

I was honored to be asked to take part in a survey from Learn Mandarin Now that polled China bloggers on the best resources they used in learning Mandarin Chinese. Take a look at the great infographic they put together… Continue Reading →

No pantyhose this time, but we did get a goddess

We’ve now rented umpteen different apartments in China, and we have found that they all have something in common: every one comes with a bizarre variety of crap left there from the previous tenants. The first place we lived, we were… Continue Reading →

Happy Empty Tomb-Sweeping Day!

Today is 清明节 Qing Ming Jie (Tomb-Sweeping Day), a day when families go out to gravesites to remember and worship their deceased ancestors. There aren’t really cemeteries in our little rural area; each family buries their dead in their own… Continue Reading →

How to make melted wax Easter eggs with no hiccups

Way back in 2011, someone sent me an issue of Family Fun magazine that included this idea for coloring Easter eggs. The basic idea is that you color the eggs with crayons while the eggs are still hot so that… Continue Reading →

7 crazy quirks that make our apartment…special

I’m sure every home in the world has its own quirks, but in our experience, apartments in China are extra-special in that department. As I pack up this home before our move, I’m reminded of the little bits of craziness… Continue Reading →

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