Here is a comprehensive list of every singe blog post I’ve ever written. Happy Reading!
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…
Life in Shanghai: Six-month Review
In a blink of an eye, I have been in Shanghai for six months. Wow. Boy, what exactly have I been doing? Life can often feel like big blur of nothingness until you sit down to think about it. So, sitting down and thinking about it I did. I looked…
Wendy, oh, Like the Burger
A few weeks ago, I hopped on a plane to Manila for a long weekend. Why Manila? Well, for no other reason than it was the cheapest flight out of Shanghai on that particular weekend, as listed on Vayama. So often, the best memories are created out of experiences that…
Manila Madness
First day in Manila, I wandered – my favorite way to travel. I had lunch plans with a Twitter friend, so I had an entirely free morning. Manila is much like Yaoundé – chaotic, loud, and has very clear divide of income level in neighborhoods. It was hot – 90…
Powerless in Shanghai
Last night, the power went out in my Shanghai apartment. And it brought me back. The fuse box blew and I called the repairman. For all of Shanghai’s annoyances, one amazing thing is that even at midnight, someone is ready to come fix problems and make a few extra RMBs….
Fresh Tagaytay Air
My Manila trip back in April wasn’t the highlight of my getaway. As my stay in Shanghai was approaching six months, I was in desperate need of some fresh air! A Twitter friend suggested that I check out Tagaytay, beautiful mountain range just two hours outside of Manila by bus. I…
Life of a Halfpat
Halfpat Defined The Urban Dictionary describes the term “half-pat” in two different ways:1. Halfpats are people who have relocated to another country, developed a nearly native understanding of the language and culture by themselves. Normally used in regards to China’s halfpat community.” and 2. An expatriate who is not being…