Lost in Translation

I find a kind of perverse pleasure in finding typos. I really love to find them in books or published content. That being said, I know there are probably some typos some of you readers have found on this very blog-- the idea kind of haunts me. Anyways, here in China, it's almost too easy. …

Just in Time for the Game of Thrones Season Finale

*Warning this post contains spoilers.* At the end of last week, I was a bit sad. Sure Daenerys still has two dragons, but now a tale of ice and fire is getting closer and closer. In honor of the two remaining dragons, I went out and bought two dragonfruit. Like my discovery post about mangosteens, here …

Then and Now, A Home Tour

The past year, we've had a lot of changes, and this has been true in our home as well. I first put up photos of our apartment in this post, Home Sweet Home, and I thought it would be fun to do a follow up where you can see the changes we've gone through. I realized …

The Chinese Secret to Good Skin

While traveling I always think it's a fun idea to pop into supermarkets and see what's similar and different from home. In the U.K. I loved the descriptions of things-- packages wouldn't advertise plain old strawberries, they were "delicious, fragrant strawberries." Strolling down the beauty aisle in China, you'll see the usual suspects-- shampoo, conditioner, …

Creativity and Advice

The end of a season has definitely been on my mind as we are leaving China so soon. Endings are a natural time of reflection, and the subject of creativity has been on my mind a lot. A few years ago, if you had asked me if I was creative I would have said no. …

Your Questions Answered

I thought it was really fun reading all the questions you posted about our life in China. Without further ado, here is my attempt to answer them. 1. What is the population of Beijing? (Marti Forbus) Bing says that the population of Beijing is 21.7 million. To put this into perspective, the combined population of …

Things I’ll Miss/Things I won’t

As our time in China winds to a close (our contracts finish in one month), it's kind of a nostalgic time. While on the one hand we're really excited about going home, it's also kind of bittersweet. Here are 5 things I'll miss and another couple I won't (presented in no particular order.) {WILL MISS} Living …

Chinese Cupcakes

When I came to China, I was prepared for a year without bread. But, much to my surprise, there's a bakery on nearly every corner. There are cupcakes, baguettes, tarts... everything I had at home. My favorite place is a chain called Paris Baguette and luckily enough for me, there is one in my building …

8 Photos for the First 8 Days of Camp

For the next two weeks, Alex and I are working 6 days per week. Our more intense schedule is the result of a summer course we are teaching. It's been hectic, but we're 8 days in, and here are 8 snapshots from the week. Love it or hate it, Ed Sheeran was in the opening …

A Year of Beijing Weather

For anyone planning a trip to Beijing, here's a handy guide to the weather based on a year's worth of experience living here. Yes, I know that "hot, hot, hot" and "cold, cold, cold" may seem a bit repetitive, but when you are here-- believe me, it will make perfect sense!