I just got my first dose of China’s COVID-19 vaccine. It’s only been a few hours, but I feel fine so far. Except for maybe a little bit a sensation like somebody punched me in the arm. But that’s normal. Right?
I Just Got My COVID-19 Vaccine in China Read Post »
The Qingming festival is also known in English as Tomb Sweeping Day. It happens every year on the 15th day after the spring equinox, usually on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th of April. It’s dedicated to honoring the dead and is one of the least commercialized festivals in modern China. While it may not
What is the Qingming (a.k.a. Tomb Sweeping) Festival? Read Post »
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 »
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 »
Sometimes living overseas can be very lonely. This loneliness is worse during the holidays. This is a blog post about that.
Loneliness, Holidays and Living Overseas Read Post »
