Learning to use chopsticks in China is easy. Learning when not to use them is hard. Dinner in Shanghai – my home for the past two years – is rarely eaten alone. A dinner is the sort of grand occasion…
Terracotta warriors, biang biang noodles, and other things you can't find in Shanghai Part I
Parts of western China seem trapped between the ravages of 1970s Russian communism and pre-1920s Chinese imperialism
On eating dumplings and wrapping tacos
Zandie effortlessly pops the entire clove of garlic into her mouth. It’s Chinese New Year and we’re bao-ing dumplings to celebrate, as per new year’s eve tradition. The garlic clove just finished its swim in a shallow dish of shaoxing wine vinegar,…
How to spend Chinese New Year in Shanghai
I can always get behind traditions involving food. Shanghai is wonderfully quiet during the Chinese New Year. This is a time when most foreigners peace out to seek warmer climates and most Chinese return home to celebrate with their families and be pestered about…
How to drink coffee in China
Like many things in China, the Shanghainese coffee culture is a little.. off. Drinking coffee in China is a rather bizarre experience, and I’m not quite sure whether it lags behind or somehow surpasses its US equivalent (probably the former). Below are some of…
Understanding China
At times, I wonder about my ‘legacy’ in China. Now okay, that sounds a bit ridiculous. The last seven (almost eight) months that I’ve spent in Shanghai, my Chinese speaking abilities have rapidly improved (not as significantly as I would have liked them to, but…
What it's like to write
All writers are liars. We exaggerate, spinning lies out of words in order to create a stronger, more compelling narrative. We disregard facts to make what we write feel more ‘real’ (which is kind of counterintuitive, isn’t it?). In my…
Gutter oil, no soy sauce, and other things about Shanghainese street food
It starts at midnight. A ladleflul of oil and the cracked egg are followed immediately by two (heaping) teaspoons of white MSG powder. The street vendor asks me if I want to add chili to my noodles (they come next,…
Giving Thanks
This is a time of tumultuous change. My apartment, the nature of my work, my ‘purpose’ for being in Shanghai are all rapidly changing and evolving. At long last,I feel like I am finally in control of my expat experience (the…
What it's like to live in China.
Life in Shanghai is of the kind that’s perfect for Instagram. Between the late-night bars of Yongkang, the dazzling views of Pudong and the Oriental Pearl Tower, and the four-story elevated highways that sweep through the center of the city,…
Accepting Changes
It’s funny just how drastically and rapidly your taste for something can change. If, just a year ago, someone had told me that I would be sitting on an ivory-painted bench in front of the Shanghai Centre, spooning ricotta cheese into my mouth…
"Where is the Kombucha?" and other silly questions
A few days ago, I was asked the one question I haven’t been asked much since coming to Shanghai. Why did I come to China? Why am I 9,000 miles away from home, the people I love? (and most importantly from…