articles
200. the end of my relationship
I am currently going through a divorce from my Chinese husband.
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 Key Facts to Know Before Marrying A Chinese Man
Marrying a Chinese man means marrying his family.
189. The Year of the Monkey and How Goats Became Inauspicious
My Chinese 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 menorrhagia
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 Chinese husband’s grandfather in the countryside of Jilin province.
175. “westerners have better physical strength than chinese”
My Chinese 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 Chinese husband’s aunt.
171. chinese traditions: full moon celebration
My Chinese mother-in-law asks my Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese 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 Chinese 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 giving birth.
155. “do you also feel that we should only have one child?”
My Chinese husband asks me this questions when our son is only a few weeks old.
154. a contagious family – coming down with a cold
My Chinese 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 Chinese husband is lazy.
152. Pork tail: A Chinese delicacy kids shouldn't eat
My Chinese husband prepares pork tail, a Chinese delicacy kids shouldn’t eat, 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.
150. “in china, parents don’t want their kids to do any household chores”
My Chinese father-in-law shares his viewpoint with me over lunch in Shenzhen.
149. “i’ll only marry if i meet the right guy”
I visit a Chinese friend in Yunnan.
148. “that young guy doesn’t have any manners”
I take a bus in Shenzhen together with my mother-in-law.
147. “make sure to get enough rest and watch cartoons”
I chat with a co-worker in Shenzhen.
146. “i don’t want to keep the baby”
A Chinese friend tells me this in the spring of 2014.
145. “he had to suffer discrimination in north korea”
I chat with my Chinese father-in-law.
144. “pregnant women can’t eat chinese hawthorn”
The owner of a fruit shop in Shenzhen won’t sell me Chinese hawthorn.
143. chinese ghost festival
The ghosts of ancestors are believed to visit their relatives on this day.
142. a not-so-safe drive to the airport
Min takes me to the airport in Kunming.
141. 5 cultural differences connected to water
I found that people have many different perceptions of water.
140. gender prediction: does carrying a boy make a difference from carrying a girl?
People guess my baby’s sex.
139. getting rid of ghosts
My Chinese husband gives me advice on how I can get rid of ghosts.
138. Things My Chinese Mother-In-Law Told Me Not to Do During Pregnancy
My Chinese in-laws stay with me and my husband in Shenzhen for a few weeks during my first pregnancy.
137. book review: "good chinese wife" by susan blumberg-kason
“Good Chinese Wife” is a story about an American woman who finds herself married to an abusive Chinese man.
136. “has your skin turned darker after becoming pregnant?”
I chat with a co-worker in Shenzhen.
135. Shenzhen’s New Express Mailboxes
Shenzhen gets new express mailboxes.
134. “why are you going to the 12th floor?”
A little girl starts to chat with me in an elevator in Shenzhen.
133. “you’re going to have a boy!”
A Chinese co-worker in Shenzhen thinks I’m going to give birth to a boy.
132. “i’m afraid my mother will get lost on her way to the market”
My Chinese husband worries about his mother, who is new to Shenzhen.
131. dietary suggestions for treating mild anaemia during pregnancy
I receive different dietary suggestions for treating mild anaemia.
130. inviting ghosts into our home
I put my umbrella onto the balcony outside my apartment in Shenzhen to let it dry.
129. my family of five
I pick up pictures at a Kodak store in Shenzhen.
128. “you have to be nice to your mama”
I chat with a Chinese co-worker in Shenzhen.
127. “did you know that hungarians are descendants of the chinese?”
A stranger in Shenzhen chats with me about history.
126. 365 Days Ago, I Was Really Nervous (A Chinese-Austrian Wedding)
My Chinese husband and I tied the knot one year ago.
125. msg wars at christmas
While I’m in the kitchen looking for the right spices, I find MSG hidden behind other spices.
124. Discovering Mold in Our Flat in Shenzhen
My Chinese fiancé and I find out we have a mold problem.
123. “you should have a baby boy”
A co-worker in Shenzhen wishes me a boy.
122. “i’m thinking of breaking up”
A Chinese woman asks her boyfriend to give her money for her birthday.
121. My Experience of Being Pregnant and Living with Chinese In-Laws
My in-laws stay with us in Shenzhen during my first pregnancy.
120. “i went to kindergarten for 7 years”
I listen to two co-workers talking.
119. “americans like to fight”
I’m at the hairdressers and talk to the employee washing my hair.
118. “you can take apples right out of these boxes”
Where can you get the freshest apples in a Chinese supermarket?
117. “will your mother come here when you give birth?”
An elderly Chinese woman talks with me about my life in China.
116. 1980 or the year that my in-laws tied the knot
What was dating like for my in-laws?
115. Wearing Radiation-Proof Maternity Clothes to Get a Seat on the Subway in Shenzhen
Radiation-proof maternity clothes are common in China.
114. "my Chinese friends are eager to meet you"
Being introduced to people in China is different from what I’m used to in Austria.
113. up to the mountains and down to the countryside – my mother-in-law, the educated youth
In July 1975, my mother-in-law is sent to the countryside as part of the “Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside” movement during the Cultural Revolution.
112. “how come your bump is that big?”
A co-worker in Shenzhen asks me this question.
111. “after we’re married, i still want to see her as my girlfriend”
A couple in Qujing shares their view on marriage.
110. “in europe, every family owns at least two cars”
One evening in September 2013, I take a motorcycle cab back to my place in Shenzhen and chat with the driver.
109. “oh my god, i’m going to be a father!”
It takes my Chinese husband a few weeks to realize he really is becoming a father.
108. men not allowed to enter
One day in mid-November 2013 my husband and I go to a women’s and children’s hospital in Shenzhen.
107. “don’t go on the streets to do something stupid”
A friend of mine receives a call from her Tibetan mother.
106. “it has hit me really hard that he has a girlfriend”
A co-worker in Shenzhen confides in me a story of being unhappily in love.
105. “you shouldn’t eat too many tangyuan when pregnant”
Eating sweet glutinous rice balls is a Lantern Festival tradition.
104. “the hospital is cheating us out of our money”
After getting back the results of the blood works and confirming that I am indeed pregnant, the next time I see the same doctor she sends me to do blood works again.
103. a dragon’s fate
Everytime my husband travels somewhere or takes on an important task, it rains heavily.
102. “sharing the same room”
A doctor in Shenzhen tells me of the three things I have to avoid during pregnancy.
101. “does austria also have birth planning?”
I take a cab to the airport in Shenzhen and chat with the cab driver.