small town laowai

an Americanish life in backwater China

Page 19 of 19

A very quiet Children’s Day

Today, we had one of the quietest Children’s Days I think we’ve probably ever had. Normally, the kids are in some kind of school program, usually one that involves about two months of daily rehearsals at their school, sequined costumes,… Continue Reading →

Adopting from U.S. foster care while living abroad

May is National Foster Care Month in the U.S.! I know several expat families here in China who have considered adoption, but have gotten stuck because it seems too difficult, or too costly, while living overseas. If you are considering… Continue Reading →

What in the Middle Kingdom? Tofu marshmallows

If you haven’t yet visited the tofu section of your market or supermarket, you are in for a real treat. Tofu here in China is not just white blocks of tastelessness sloshing around in sealed containers like it is in… Continue Reading →

6 things to tell my kids before we get back to the States

My kids have spent most of their lives in China, so there are a few American customs they might not be familiar with. I need to remember to coach them through a few of them during the long plane ride… Continue Reading →

Cold cucumber buckwheat noodles

This is a little liangban 凉拌 I put together when I had limited ingredients in the house and little desire to run to the market. That sometimes is how I come up with some really nice dishes. As they say,… Continue Reading →

“We have our own private pool” is not exactly a lie…

There are zero – count them! – zero swimming pools in our little town. So, we installed our own. No, I shouldn’t phrase it that way. It’s deceptive. But, the pool we have is still a ton of fun for… Continue Reading →

How to cook frozen jiaozi

Frozen jiaozi (速冻饺子) are some of the only packaged convenience food available in small town China. It’s nice to keep a bag in the freezer “just in case” since it’s not like I’ve got canned soup or boxes of mac… Continue Reading →

Newer posts »

© 2025 small town laowai — Powered by WordPress

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑