Posts Tagged: china
Ready or Not, Here We Squat
So far I’ve only skirted around the topic that is the elephant in the room when talking about adjusting to life in China. And for good reason. Warning: This is my longest rant yet so before we begin, you may
Ready or Not, Here We Squat
So far I’ve only skirted around the topic that is the elephant in the room when talking about adjusting to life in China. And for good reason. Warning: This is my longest rant yet so before we begin, you may
Learning Chinese, Part 3
Okay, you’ve gotten off the plane, peed in the right restroom, and arrived at the train station. Now it’s time to board your thirty-six hour train ride. The next most important characters you need to know are upper, lower, and
Learning Chinese, Part 3
Okay, you’ve gotten off the plane, peed in the right restroom, and arrived at the train station. Now it’s time to board your thirty-six hour train ride. The next most important characters you need to know are upper, lower, and
PandaLand
Ok, it’s not called PandaLand. It’s the “Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding”, which boasts one of the highest concentrations of pandas in the world. It’s by far the number one tourist attraction in the city, which in retrospect
PandaLand
Ok, it’s not called PandaLand. It’s the “Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding”, which boasts one of the highest concentrations of pandas in the world. It’s by far the number one tourist attraction in the city, which in retrospect
Lijiang
Maya followed our advice and joined us on the ‘big bus’ this time for a few kuai more (which I believe is the sequel to A Fistful of Kuai). The bus ride itself was not as spectacular as the Kunming-Dali
Lijiang
Maya followed our advice and joined us on the ‘big bus’ this time for a few kuai more (which I believe is the sequel to A Fistful of Kuai). The bus ride itself was not as spectacular as the Kunming-Dali
Xinjie
The Road to Yuanyang: Part 3 You would think, judging by the expressions on their faces, the good people of Xinjie had never seen a white man enter their town by rolling down a dirt-covered hillside with all his belongings
Xinjie
The Road to Yuanyang: Part 3 You would think, judging by the expressions on their faces, the good people of Xinjie had never seen a white man enter their town by rolling down a dirt-covered hillside with all his belongings
My Last Sleeper Bus – Jinghong to Jiangshi
The Road to Yuanyang: Part 1 If there is a right way to get to Yuanyang, I did the exact opposite. Lonely Planet suggested taking a 12 hour bus ride to the town of Luchun. By the time you get
My Last Sleeper Bus – Jinghong to Jiangshi
The Road to Yuanyang: Part 1 If there is a right way to get to Yuanyang, I did the exact opposite. Lonely Planet suggested taking a 12 hour bus ride to the town of Luchun. By the time you get
My first domestic flight – Xiamen to Shenzhen
If you want to see the New China, go to the Airport. If you want to see the real China, go to the bus station. The bus stations are monuments to mayhem, chaos, and noise. The airports are bright, quiet,
My first domestic flight – Xiamen to Shenzhen
If you want to see the New China, go to the Airport. If you want to see the real China, go to the bus station. The bus stations are monuments to mayhem, chaos, and noise. The airports are bright, quiet,
Hakka House
Be careful what you wish for: I wanted to experience something other than the built-up glitzy shopping mall known as Shanghai. I wanted to get away from the millions of people of the big coastal cities. I wanted some down-time.
Hakka House
Be careful what you wish for: I wanted to experience something other than the built-up glitzy shopping mall known as Shanghai. I wanted to get away from the millions of people of the big coastal cities. I wanted some down-time.
Side trip: Hangzhou
My last day in Shanghai, I took the high-speed rail to Hangzhou, famous for its West Lake region. It was not ideal weather for taking a boat ride, so I circumnavigated the lake by foot. I had an easy enough
Side trip: Hangzhou
My last day in Shanghai, I took the high-speed rail to Hangzhou, famous for its West Lake region. It was not ideal weather for taking a boat ride, so I circumnavigated the lake by foot. I had an easy enough
Shang-hostellers
I’m a big believer in hostels. I stayed in them across Europe. I worked at the biggest one in Los Angeles when I first moved to Santa Monica, and I returned to volunteer years later—creating and leading a free weekly
Shang-hostellers
I’m a big believer in hostels. I stayed in them across Europe. I worked at the biggest one in Los Angeles when I first moved to Santa Monica, and I returned to volunteer years later—creating and leading a free weekly
My China Year 