Here is a comprehensive list of every singe blog post I’ve ever written. Happy Reading!
Bookworm in Shanghai
I love books. In my childhood in Taiwan, I loved going to bookstores, libraries, etc. and spending hours reading books without paying for them. So far in Shanghai, I’ve been surprised at the lack of bookstores. In Taiwan, they are kind of like Starbucks – all over the place. I…
Don’t ask me to lie China
When living in a foreign country, there is a fine line between integrating into a culture, and forgoing one’s integrity. In Cameroon, my rule was to never to pay a bribe, no matter what. After just one month in China, my rule is definitely going to be – never lying…
Lost in Translation: Why You Shouldn’t Trust Google Translate
I remember in one of my first French classes in college, the professor made a serious point about not trusting Google Translate when writing our essays. Back then, I remember thinking, but surely, it knows more than I do! Well, here, I have a story that should teach all language…
“Why do Americans have guns?”
This morning, I woke up and saw the NYT alerts on my phone. “27 Deaths in Connecticut Elementary School Includes 20 Children.” I was immediately horrified and had a heavy heart, but I was in a hurry to get to a tutoring session and didn’t get a chance to read…
Avocado Lady in Shanghai
Recently, I moved into my own flat in Shanghai and had to go grocery shopping. No big deal. Except, I walked into Carrefour, and started to panic somewhat. I was faced with the harsh realization just how western I am. This was the first time I ever had to grocery shop…
A Shanghai Christmas
Spending holidays abroad is always interesting, especially when you intermix it with different cultures. This year, I spent Christmas in Shanghai with American, Australian, Chinese, and Swiss friends. My Australian couple friends graciously opened up their expat pad to host a lovely Christmas. Thanks to Fields China, we had a…
2012 Year-in-Review
Somehow, I’ve been blogging for over four years, and my favorite year-end tradition is looking back on the year and reflecting the wonderful events that took place. 2012 came and went swiftly. It was a challenging year on a personal level, but the year is ending on a very positive…
New Year Bucket List
I was never good with New Year Resolutions, so I stopped making them many years ago. This year, I decided to make a bucket list. I’ve been living in Shanghai for about two months now, and I have noticed that all of my foreign friends are MUCH more knowledgeable of…
More Than Toilet
When thinking of a dessert bar, one typically has an image of a romantic atmosphere with dim lighting, roses and beauty. Yet, when someone told me you can get dessert that ressembles poo served in toilet, the irony and the pure strangeness had me jump on it right away. Upon entering the…
The Whoa Factor
Shanghai, so far, for all of its daily annoyances, comes with some pretty amazing Whoa Factors. Last week, I walked along Nanjing Road by my subway station, looked up, and saw a giant Sephora. One so big that you literally think, whoaaa where did THAT come from?! When I moved…
Year of the Snake Feast!
The last time that I spent Chinese New Year in Asia was 15 years ago, so I was awaiting CNY in Shanghai with much anticipation. I’ve always heard about the Great Migration that happens over the holiday. Starting on February 1st, I began to witness an exodus out of Shanghai….
First Prayer at Longhua Temple
After a wonderful feast to welcome the Year of Snake, I paid a visit to Longhua Temple just before midnight to pray for good fortunes for the upcoming year. Among devout followers, this first prayer (烧头香) is very important. The taxi dropped us off a few blocks away from the…
Chocolate Wonderland
After the epic poo-eating experience, I encountered another amazing chocolate related event here in Shanghai – the Chocolate Wonderland exhibition. I had read a review about it on TimeOut Shanghai, and had to go witness this for myself. The exhibition is held at an exhibition center near Shanghai Indoor Stadium, and…
Lantern Festival at Yuyuan
Lantern Festival was a few weeks ago, but the event was such an interesting part of my China experience thus far, I figured writing about it is a better late than never endeavor. Lantern Festival (元宵节) is something that I vaguely remember celebrating as a child. Mostly, my mother would…
China in Africa: Taiwanese American in Cameroon
When I decided to buy a one-way ticket to Shanghai, I began researching publications that report on Sino-Africa relations. Social media is an amazing place. A Twitter follower contacted me, and turns out he follows this issues closely and works with the China Africa Project. Recently, the Project came out…
