articles
100. “the most important thing is happiness”
A cab driver shares his view with me about what is really important in life.
99. a cure to my menstrual problems
I go to see a Chinese doctor at a TCM hospital in October 2013.
98. how my husband got stranded at guangzhou railway station in 2008
In 2008, masses of people get stranded at Guangzhou railway station due to a blizzard. What happens next is a tragedy.
97. “do you like china?”
I chat with a cab driver in Shenzhen.
96. an inconspicuous fruit shop
I visit a fruit shop in Shenzhen often after working out at a gym.
95. weddings and gifts
I chat with a cab driver in Shenzhen.
94. “do you get chinese citizenship by marrying a chinese national?”
The right to Chinese citizenship is not obtained by marrying a Chinese national.
93. “are you pregnant?”
I get asked this question often before becoming pregnant with my first son.
92. “do you know deng xiaoping?”
A cab driver in Shenzhen talks with me about politics.
91. “is learning english hard for you?”
I chat with a cab driver in Shenzhen about learning languages.
90. “i’ll make you gain weight”
A trainer at a gym in Shenzhen tells me I’ll gain weight by exercising.
89. “your breasts are almost non-existent”
I chat with a massage therapist in Shenzhen.
88. 31 dec 2012
I travel to Guangxi province with my boyfriend.
87. a change of plans
My boyfriend and I have to cancel our trip to Hainan because of a typhoon.
86. “23 years ago, my mother gave birth to my older sister”
A Chinese friend shares this birth story with me.
85. “can pregnant women have massages?”
I chat with a 20-year-old woman at a massage parlour in Shenzhen.
84. “i think you’re biracial”
I’m at a gym in Shenzhen, when a Chinese guy starts talking with me.
83. “did you miss me?”
I get asked this question often in China.
82. “at what age did you start to learn chinese folk dance?”
I visit Chinese folk dance classes at a gym in Shenzhen.
81. on staying at your in-laws' and cultural differences
I talk about my experience of staying at my in-laws’ with my husband and friends.
80. “before marriage, you’ll have a lot of pressure”
I inquire about the topic of pressure a Chinese person has before and after their wedding.
79. “i always take my bike”
I chat with a man from Sichuan who mends bikes in Shenzhen.
78. “you have to stay strong and hold on to your marriage”
A Chinese woman gives me marriage advice.
77. being introduced to people in china
I meet a friend’s grandparents and friends in Changsha.
76. apartment hunting in shenzhen
My husband and I have to move out of our flat and look for a new one.
75. “there’s not much i and my husband talk about anymore”
I have lunch with my Chinese co-worker in Shenzhen.
74. being a highly sensitive person in urban china
What is it like to be highly sensitive in China?
73. “who takes care of the kids?”
I talk with a Chinese co-worker about child rearing.
72. “go die, idiot!”
Chinese people commonly think I’m insulting my husband.
71. hiding our love and a romantic morning walk
My fiancé and I try to keep our relationship a secret.
70. “how much does it cost to have a second child in shenzhen?”
I share a cab with two co-workers.
69. What is The Hardest Part Of Learning Chinese?
I reveal what I consider to be the biggest challenge when studying Chinese.
68. “do people in austria have their eyes made bigger?”
I chat with Ling, who works at a massage parlour in Shenzhen.
67. “did you come here with your family?”
I talk with a female employee at a massage parlour in Shenzhen.
66. “if they don’t take you, you’ll have to trick them into taking you”
I talk with a female employee at a massage parlour in Shenzhen.
65. “what are you doing to become pregnant?”
My female co-workers exchange pregnancy advice over dinner in Shenzhen.
64. “how come you married so young?”
I chat with Ling, a female employee at a massage parlour in Shenzhen.
63. russian in northeast china, american in the southeast
Chinese strangers commonly mistake me for Russian in the Northeast, and American in the Southeast.
62. “the difference in salaries is out of proportion”
I chat with a stranger at a noodle restaurant in Shenzhen.
61. after the family dinner
My husband comforts me after a family dinner at a restaurant in Siping, where his uncle humiliated me in front of his relatives.
60. saying your age in china
When people ask my husband about his age, he will tell different people a different age.
59. a loss of face
My father-in-law’s oldest brother tries to force me to raise my glass to him at a family dinner in Siping.
58. “in a country really close to south korea, there’s a guy who’s always making threats”
I talk about North Korea with my husband’s niece.
57. being forced to raise my glass at a family dinner
When we are almost done with dinner, my husband’s uncle calls out my name. The whole table goes quiet.
56. “is your wife from russia?”
My fiancé chats with a cab driver in Shenzhen.
55. “i can’t sleep, i’m too excited”
My husband and I spend most of our time together.
54. “are there any positive aspects of having a different citizenship?”
I chat with my husband’s niece over dinner in Changchun.
53. raw veggies, bread and wurst
I find raw veggies, bread and wurst are eaten in Northeast China.
52. “when is the expected date of delivery?”
My husband chats with a co-worker.
51. “we don’t really have a dialect”
Is it true that people from Northeast China don’t have a dialect?