Thank you for noticing it's been a while since the last post and for your concern. We've been busy showing up at our families' houses yelling "surprise!" I love surprises. They're like little reminders that anything is possible. Of course, "I just colored an entire wall with my crayons," surprises aren't that fun but a… Continue reading Where You Been?
Tag: expat
If a picture is worth 1000 words, what are 1000 pictures worth?
Can we all agree that what we really want to see on Facebook are pictures? You know, they tell a story without having to do all that tedious reading - like on a blog. I mean, it's fine if you just want to write some cryptic message about how you're "feeling really bummed… :(" but… Continue reading If a picture is worth 1000 words, what are 1000 pictures worth?
Happy Dragon Boat Festival
I recently read an article written by a mother exhausted from all the holidays her children were celebrating. As I remember it, she was partly exhausted by the Pinterest-ing of holiday merry-making and more generally, that things like the 100th day of school have now become A Thing. Totally justified. I think it was St.… Continue reading Happy Dragon Boat Festival
Seeking Son-in-law
We did some sightseeing over the weekend. We went to the Jing'an Temple. I suppose it's true for any place of worship in a big city, but nestled between skyscrapers and concrete, the Buddhist temple seemed a little out of place. We hopped out of the taxi in front of the "Donut King", but the… Continue reading Seeking Son-in-law
The Real China
When you live abroad, you want to be able to tell people what your adopted home is like…what it's really like. You want to be able to speak with authority and authenticity. You want to make the most of the time you have in your adopted home because you know your time is finite but,… Continue reading The Real China
People are People
When you live abroad, you are reminded, daily, of how different one place can be from another. Lately however, I've been having the opposite feeling. Places may be different - they smell different and look different - but I'm starting to realize people, are mostly the same.Nolan and I ventured to my least favorite grocery… Continue reading People are People
#Expatproblems
All you hipsters out there are familiar with #whitepeopleproblems.* Those who are arguably less hip...essentially, white people problems are non-problems. From Urban Dictionary: a. Events or situations which are deemed overly taxing to only white people.b. non-issues and scenarios which are deemed dire enough by white people to vent about via facebook, twitter, therapy sessions,… Continue reading #Expatproblems
Educating the Youth
Since we arrived in September, I've been searching for things to do with my kids. Now that I have the opportunity to be at home with them full time, I was looking for all of those fun things stay-at-home moms get to do - swim lessons and music class, arts and crafts and story time… Continue reading Educating the Youth
How many Chinese people does it take to change a light bulb? Change a lock? Pay a cable bill?
This is not the first line of a joke. Or maybe the joke is on me. But the answer is four. It takes four Chinese people. Maybe you are asking yourself, "isn't the better question: why can't you just change the light bulb yourself?" To you I say, there are no simple answers even regarding… Continue reading How many Chinese people does it take to change a light bulb? Change a lock? Pay a cable bill?
From tourists to residents…or residents to tourists?
I'm not sure which title suits me more right now - Shanghai resident or Shanghai tourist. We've been here long enough for me to feel like I know a little about living here and getting around - enough to feel a little more comfortable than a tourist passing through. But then again, everyday I am… Continue reading From tourists to residents…or residents to tourists?
Kathleen Siddell 