Articles
articles on china elevator stories
200. the end of my relationship
I am currently going through divorce.
199. happy chinese new year of the rooster
We glue couplets onto our doors for Chinese New Year.
198. “your left breast is smaller than the right one”
I chat with a bathhouse employee in Siping.
197. are regional stereotypes about chinese true?
Chinese people have many stereotypes about Chinese from other areas.
196. 4 conveniences of living in small town china
What are the advantages of living in a small town in China compared to living in a metropolis?
195. the bothness series: interview with jason s.c. fung
I sit down with Jason S.C. Fung, virtually, to chat about what it’s like for kids to grow up between cultures.
194. why you shouldn’t wish a happy dragon boat festival and what to say instead
The story behind Dragon Boat Festival is not a happy one.
193. “zdravstvuyte! do you speak russian?”
I’m greeted in Russian at a market in Siping.
192. i don’t celebrate mother’s day
I celebrated mother’s day growing up, but feel conflicted about this holiday as a grown-up.
191. bilingual toddler speak 101: how to say no to your mum so she’ll listen
I’m surprised over how skilfully my toddler son combines both of his mother tongues.
190. 8 things you should know before marrying into a chinese family
Marrying a Chinese man means marrying his family.
189. the year of the monkey and how goats became inauspicious
My husband cautions against having a baby born in the year of the goat.
188. 3 things toddlers can teach us about learning a language
I watch my toddler son acquire language skills in two mother tongues naturally.
187. the bothness series: interview with jason s.c. fung
I sit down with Jason S.C. Fung, virtually, to chat about what it’s like for kids to grow up between cultures.
186. “won’t anyone steal the cows?”
I chat with a blind massage therapist in Siping.
185. not in the holiday spirit? you’re not the only one.
Do you feel like you just haven’t gotten into the holiday spirit this year?
184. “life in china is exhausting”
I chat with the employee of a bathhouse in Siping.
183. “i’m very unlucky to have ended up in siping”
I chat with a hairdresser in Siping.
182. chinese language faux pas: a really awesome ear surgery and losing my mind in thailand
One of the more memorable occurrences where I used a Chinese phrase in a completely wrong way happened when I studied in Kunming.
181. the dumpling tantrum
I order Dim Sum at a Chinese restaurant in Vienna.
180. cultural differences in newborn care – 5 things that make westerners look really weird in chinese people’s eyes
Newborn care is different from family to family, but it also varies from culture to culture.
179. “i saved my father a lot of money by marrying in 2012”
I chat with a massage therapist in Siping.
178. “they’ve started a war” – a tale about house ownership in china
Many of the houses near my in-laws house in Siping have been torn down, but a few are still standing.
177. according to my chinese mother-in-law, becoming pregnant will cure menhorragia
I’m sceptical when my mother-in-law tells me that pregnancy could cure heavy menses.
176. “what do you do to worship your ancestors?”
I visit the grave of my husband’s grandfather in the countryside of Jilin province.
175. “westerners have better physical strength than chinese”
My husband chats with his cousin about my recovery after childbirth.
174. “where’s your soviet companion?”
I chat with the employee of a bathhouse in Siping.
173. is china a safe place to live for expat women? my personal experience of harassment by a chinese guy
How safe is China for expat women?
172. “when will your baby’s eyes change to your color?”
I chat with my husband’s aunt.
171. chinese traditions: full moon celebration
My Chinese mother-in-law asks my husband to perform a ritual.
170. taoist traditions in china: burning spirit money on the street
A man lights a fire on an intersection in Siping.
169. “visiting the grave brings bad luck to your baby”
My husband and I visit his aunt in a village in Jilin province in November 2014.
168. “you should eat animal fat”
I chat with the owner of a small dumpling restaurant in Dalian.
167. 6 things i’ve learned in 2 years of being in a cross-cultural relationship with my chinese husband
This is what being in an intercultural relationship has taught me.
166. “diapers are bad for your baby’s pee-pee”
My cousin-in-law tells me I shouldn’t have my baby wear diapers.
165. a girlfriend, a fight and an accidental pregnancy
My husband’s friend is planning to marry his pregnant girlfriend.
164. chinese traditions: ritual for 5-day-old newborn
My Chinese mother-in-law asks my husband to perform a ritual on our son.
163. “foreigners also need body scrubs”
I overhear employees at a bathhouse in Siping talking about me.
162. “are you headed to the airport?”
Our car is being flagged down by a police officer in Shenzhen.
161. “what do they do with the placenta after delivery?”
I chat with a 60-year-old neighbour in Shenzhen.
160. “it’s way too cold for your baby to be outside”
I chat with a cab driver in Siping.
159. how living in china’s south made me appreciate the north
Shenzhen’s hot and humid climate makes me appreciate the drier climate of North China.
158. “do you always dress your baby like that?”
I chat with my husband’s friend in Siping.
157. 5 places in china i’d love to revisit
China features many stunning travel destinations. Of the many places I have visited in China, 5 have made it on my list of places I’d love to revisit.
156. chinese postpartum practices
It is tradition in China to do labor confinement for a period of 30 days after having given birth.
155. “do you also feel that we should only have one child?”
My husband asks me this when our son is only a few weeks old.
154. a contagious family – coming down with a cold
My in-laws stay with us in Shenzhen for a few weeks during my first pregnancy.
153. “why don’t you get your husband to wash the dishes?”
A female co-worker thinks my husband is lazy.
152. pork tail – a chinese delicacy not for kids
My husband prepares pork tail, a Chinese delicacy, during a stay in Austria.
151. “look at china, being considerate of pregnant women”
I’m at a border crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.