On Invitations and the Dinner We Never Expected
Though I still equate the word “invitation” with notice, I’m learning to appreciate the beauty in a sudden invite, like my big uncle’s dinner in China.
Another Friend, Another Divorce in China
“The feelings between my wife and I were not so harmonious. So…we officially divorced.” Our friend Huizhong became another “divorce in China” statistic.
Of Love, Money and An “Unsettled Relationship” With a Chinese Man
When I asked my Chinese husband about why he took out a loan to treat me on our first “official date,” the answer — which said a lot about how he viewed love and money — surprised me.
Sushi is Not Chinese Food: Of China Misunderstandings
Sushi is not Chinese food — and it’s not the only way Americans sometimes misunderstand China.
How I Learned to Read Chinese, Published on Matador
Matador just published my article titled “How I Learned to Read Chinese.”
For those of you dying to know about my path to fluency, this piece tracks how I left illiteracy in Chinese behind.
The China Birthday Enthusiasm Gap
Happy birthday meant something completely different to John, my Chinese husband. So over time, I discovered a certain China birthday enthusiasm gap.
“It’s Just a Storm”: The Ebb and Flow of Yangtze River Delta Weather
I never imagined “harmless” weather could look so horrible — but China’s Yangtze River Delta, where I lived for more than four years, forever changed my perspective on storms, from seemingly severe thunderstorms to typhoons.
Learning Patience in China
One Saturday morning in Spring 2005, about 10 minutes before crawling from bed, I heard it — a screeching sound akin to scratching a blackboard with your fingernails, but magnified more than 100 times over. Yes, just a little good old welding and drilling in the name of redecorating yet another apartment in my neighborhood, […]
How China Made My Clothing Cuter
Before I went to China, I never believed in wearing cute pastels. But after living in the Middle Kingdom, adorable outfits slowly creeped into my wardrobe, and changed forever just how I saw clothing.
Chapter 76: The Bench on Su Causeway
My Chinese boyfriend John and I went to Su Causeway in Hangzhou not for the view or a walk, but to find the bench where we first kissed, and became a couple.
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