I am not ready to go home. I don’t think I’ll be ready for a while. And that in itself is kind of frightening. I’ve been having a few internal crises about being here in China. I can feel that I’m already…
The one-day weekend, or how I spent last Sunday between heaven and earth
I only have one weekend day (yes, I complain about this a lot, but it’s true). I’ve been in Shanghai for exactly four weeks, so here, presented in all of its (uncensored) glory, is how I spent my fourth Sunday:…
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…
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…
Never drink the tap water and 4 other things I learned on my first day in Shanghai
1. I broke the no. 1 rule about visiting China just one day in. I accidentally drank the tap water – a decision I regretted almost immediately. The next few hours were markedly unpleasant, largely because my stomach has much…