It wouldn’t be Christmas without my (newly-dyed) hair being accidentally dipped into gluten-free très leches cake halfway through dinner. Wouldn’t it? This morning, faced with the prospect of cooking a Christmas dinner for 9 people, and no menu plan in…
Hot Dog Bar Shop and other Silly Things
Nestled three doors down from my new apartment is the Hot Dog Bar Store (we call it hot dog bar shop for short, though yes, we know it’s inaccurate). Part Western-grocery store selling expired chocolate chips and vanilla soymilk, part actual…
Fast Internet, and other things that don't exist in China.
Moving has been exhausting. From the hassle of taking countless trips to IKEA (which nonetheless bring the joy of 1 kuai ice cream) to not realizing that I would need even the basic of necessities in my unfurnished apartment (sure, having a closet is…
The Highs and Lows of 2014
The Eve of my Birthday was spent in a Chinese emergency room. Since coming back from Russia, I’ve had a sharp pain and an increasingly growing tingling in my chest. Naturally my mind turned to the worst possible outcomes (heart…
2014: The year in brunch
I think 2014 was the year I re-discovered brunch. Now okay, that’s a sweeping (and honestly kind of stupid) statement, but it’s kind of true. Brunch is not one of those meals that we need to eat (like breakfast is supposedly, but for…
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…
The charm of Moscow in November
Uncoordinated. That’s the only way to describe my 10-hour flight from Shanghai to Moscow. Over the course of ten hours, I spilled water on myself (twice). Most of my (gluten-free) biscuit ended up on my blanket. My slippers (which Aeroflot gives…
"Why does this soymilk taste so chalky?" and other subtle differences
The sky has turned grey. The air has turned sour. Earlier this week I got a (not-so pleasant surprise) during my morning routine, as I groggily checked the day’s weather on my iPad. I opened up SkyMotion and did a double…
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,…
Letting Go
My jade bracelet has shattered. It’s funny, the bracelet had been on my mind for weeks and I had just spent over a month trying (quite unsuccessfully) to get it back (back from where? well, that’s a more complicated story)….
China's biggest (in)conveniences.
I really need to stop feeling guilty about taking cabs. I realize I’m acting stupid, muttering curses under my breath in Russian as I climb up six flights of stairs through a darkened alleyway (complete with clap on! clap off! lights). Over the past…
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…