One of my favorite parts of the Shanghai experience so far has been seeking the grossest food I can find — and eating it. Salted cheese bubble tea (many things here are mistranslated, so the reality can be much worse) is high on…
Understanding Chinese social etiquette: a primer
It was a 95ºF day and they were serving lukewarm beer. One of the hardest things about being in China (aside from the language, the language is quite hard), has been knowing how to behave around people in public. Yes, the expectations…
"Where are you from?" and other hard questions
“Where are you from?” This is such a simple question — one of the basic questions I’ve been getting from every stranger I’ve met in Shanghai (aside from ‘are you a ginger?’ which I’ve been asked twice — two more…
My first Shanghainese meal (and its consequences)
Today, I got my official welcome to China. It involved me, a toilet, and half an hour of continuous vomiting. The good thing is that my general malaise about being in China is gone. I think this country is brilliant…
Monet's water lilies, or how I learned to get closer to impressionism
Four years ago, I spent a magical summer in Paris, capturing memories in a long-forgotten blog. Every Thursday, I’ll post my favorite entries from that blog. This is reprinted from 7-19-10. Impressionist art frustrates me. In art galleries and…
The Joys of Pearl Milk Tea & Peace and Tranquility
珍珠奶茶 – Pearl Milk Tea (with red bean!) Living abroad feels a lot like being a baby. I’m inordinately proud of the stupidest things for absolutely no good reason. Kind of how people gawk at toddlers for taking a few steps…