an Americanish life in backwater China

Category Life

Forks vs. Chopsticks Showdown – Vote Now!

  To Win Chinese New Year, You Must Master Snacks 13 China Mysteries No Expat Can Explain These 9 Chinese Notebooks are All the Inspiration You Need

What’s on Your 2017 Cultural Bucket List?

It’s a new year! This is the time when we think about goals and plans for the next twelve months. This year, my goals include getting out and exploring the city and culture I’m in. My list includes Chinese zodiac… Continue Reading →

Tongue Tied? Blame Your Affective Filter

So, you’re in class and the teacher calls on you to read some long passage that is full of ridiculously obscure characters. And you were traveling all weekend so you didn’t preview this lesson. And this happens to be the… Continue Reading →

It’s 39°F in My Bedroom, But I Can’t Complain (Seriously. I vowed not to.)

When we woke up this morning, the thermometer showed that it was 39°F (3.9°C). Not 39°F outside, friends. That was the temperature INSIDE our bedroom. Brrr…. But I am not going to complain about how frigid it is because…I promised not to. This… Continue Reading →

A Story Only China Expats Will Mingbai

How good is your Chinglish? If you can follow this story, I’m guessing you have lived in China hao jiu. The other day, I was buying some ershou furniture from a guy across town but I knew it was going… Continue Reading →

Thanksgiving is Bland, Pale & Overly Sweet (and we wouldn’t want it any other way)

When I, an American, see a big ol’ Thanksgiving feast spread on the table, it makes me salivate. It’s a feast I spend weeks looking forward to. I think that’s probably true for most of my countrymen. But to my… Continue Reading →

TCK Novels Going Strong During NaNoWriMo in China

I took the plunge and am now half-way through my novel for National Novel Writing Month! So far, I am on track to finish by the November 30th deadline, and am feeling good about my story. I expect somewhere in… Continue Reading →

This Global Life: Southern China

  It has been incredible to follow along with Taking Route’s October series, This Global Life. Each day this month, we’ve been treated to glimpses of  everyday life in 31 different countries through the eyes of expats who live there. I’ve… Continue Reading →

Zàijiàn to Pippin & Her Puppies

In the last episode of our exciting puppy adventure, Pippin had just given birth to four beautiful puppies. I left you wondering how many of the puppies were boys and how many were girls. But since our home now had… Continue Reading →

Pippin’s Real-Life Puppy Surprise

In our last episode of All My Puppies, we left Pippin in labor (poor thing), with all of us wondering how many puppies there would be. Okay, seriously, let’s take stock of the situation: this is a young pregnant mama… Continue Reading →

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