Last fall, we visited the emergency room of a Chinese public hospital when my life-partner and bride-to-be injured her knee. It was interesting, and the doctors gave us the impression that it would just heal on its own. Of course, it didn’t. She ended up having surgery at the end of February this year. Things […]
Chinese Public Hospitals Are a Kafkaesque Nightmare Read Post »
Chinese movies have existed pretty much since the beginning of cinema, starting with rickety black and white footage of downtown Shanghai. The country has a rich artistic heritage that goes back a century. But, all anyone ever wants to talk about is Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Or Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Jackie Chan and
Five Chinese Movies That Aren’t Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Read Post »
Khao Sok National Park in southern Thailand might be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. Imagine waking up in a floating bungalow and looking out over a mist-covered jungle lake. The otherworldly howls of the gibbons echo off rugged limestone cliffs that tower over the water. You breathe in a primordial
Khao Sok National Park Might be Thailand’s Best Park Read Post »
There isn’t much to Jinshan Fishing Village, or Jinshanzui, or 金山嘴渔村. However, it’s a nice place to spend an afternoon wandering around old narrow streets, soaking up some ancient Chinese architecture, and maybe buying some dried fish. Unfortunately, despite being a seaside fishing village, it isn’t the best place to see the ocean.
Jinshan Fishing Village: The Sea-Side Town with No Sea-Side Read Post »
The first question you may be asking yourself about the Shanghai Museum of Glass is why? Why would somebody go through all the trouble to make an entire museum devoted to a material we use so that we can look out our windows without having to breathe fresh air? It’s a fair question and one
The Shanghai Museum of Glass: Not a Good Place for Children Read Post »
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is undoubtedly the biggest of all the big holidays in China. It’s like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s all rolled into one gigantic seven-day festival of red lanterns and dumplings. In Shanghai, they celebrate the Chinese New Year by traveling out of the city. This is often the
How Shanghai is Celebrating the Chinese New Year Read Post »
The second wave of COVID-19 sort of hit Shanghai by surprise. Thus far, the city had been spared the worst of the pandemic, avoiding the harsh lockdowns seen in Wuhan and elsewhere. Sure, plenty of imported cases trickled in, and the last month saw an uptick in cases in Northern China. But we never thought
Shanghai Gets a Second Wave of COVID-19 Read Post »
I already wrote about why living in China can be annoying, it’s time to write about why living in China is great. About a month after I moved to Shanghai, one of the first non-Chinese people I met asked me how I liked it. I said I liked it, so far. She scoffed and told
Why Living in China is Great Read Post »
You would think that after two years of living in China and studying Chinese almost every day, I’d be pretty good by now. I’m not. I can order food and get the gist of some of the simpler Peppa Pig episodes. But I still can’t understand what my elderly neighbors are shouting at me as
Studying Chinese in China Read Post »
The Power Station of Art and TeamLab:Borderless are conveniently located next to each other on the banks of the Huangpu River. Shanghai is famous for many things, but modern art isn’t really one of them. Modern architecture, sure. Maybe even modern shipping? It is the world’s largest container port, after all.
Art in Shanghai: The Power Station of Art and TeamLab:Borderless Read Post »
