Tag: Guest posts

The group blog WWAM BAM! just published my post titled June’s Magical Yangmei Fruit Brings Thoughts of Love, Family in China. Here’s an excerpt from the post:

Nevermind the high humidity. Or the relentless sunshine. Or anyone else who tells me how unbearably hot summers are in China. Who has time to worry about that in June in China, a month that, for me, is inextricably entwined with the arrival of what I consider the country’s most magical fruit – yangmei or Myrica rubra.

If you’ve never bit into the juicy, ruby red goodness that is a yangmei, imagine the world’s most succulent red fruits (like my favorites of cranberry and pomegranate) packed together into one tiny, koosh-ball shaped package. It’s a little bite of ecstasy that will dance across your tastebuds and probably dribble onto the table or your summer clothes, making you look like you indulged in some red wine…but who cares when there’s yangmei on the table?

You can head on over to WWAM BAM! to read the full post. And if you like it, share it!

The group blog WWAM BAM just published my post “Don’t Eat Potatoes and Eggs Together” – and in China, She Wasn’t Alone in This Belief. Here’s an excerpt from the post:

Many years ago here in China, I remember sitting down to lunch with the wife of my husband’s cousin on a sultry summer day. Surrounded by the tempting aromas of the many delicacies covering the table, we invariably turned our thoughts – and the conversation – to food.

I still don’t remember exactly how we stumbled upon the idea of foods you should and shouldn’t eat. But somehow, the topic surfaced in our friendly chat at the table. And that’s when she began pointing out some curious combinations of foods you should never, ever eat together. Including one suggestion that, to me, was baffling.

“Don’t eat potatoes and eggs together,” she said, explaining that the combination was supposedly harmful to your health.

She might as well have been wagging her finger at me and my entire family in America, not to mention entire countries in the West. ….

I had yet to perish from my allegedly “hazardous” egg and potato dishes. And as far as I could tell, the entire country of Spain was doing just fine, with no plans to suddenly cancel one of their most beloved foods. How was it possible that biting into a potato omelette would put your life at risk?

To read the whole post, head on over to WWAM BAM. And if you like it, share it!

The group blog WWAM BAM just published a collaborative article on Differences Between Northern and Southern China, inspired by my recent move to Beijing. Four Western women married to Asian me, including myself, share our experiences about leaving one latitude for another. Here’s my contribution to the post:

In China, I’ve lived the southern life for years, residing in the Hangzhou region my husband calls home. But recently I’ve moved from Hangzhou to China’s great northern capital of Beijing. Sure, I’m looking forward to enjoying a fully heated apartment in the winter, something you don’t often have in Hangzhou (where it’s common for people to wear their coats even indoors during the coldest months). But I’d like to share some of the differences I’ve experienced that you might not necessarily expect.

If you follow my blog, you probably know my husband and I drove up to Beijing. One pleasant reality we discovered in the city – they allow free street parking on designated parking spots, something increasingly difficult to find in Hangzhou. However, Hangzhou beats Beijing hands down when it comes to green buses. The vast majority of buses in Hangzhou are either electric or powered by natural gas, but I’ve yet to see even one example of this green public transport on the streets of Beijing.

Our eating habits have also changed since moving up here. Back in Hangzhou we bought our vegetables from the community fresh market and cooked exclusively at home. But here in Beijing, my employer has a cafeteria that serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there are several super-affordable cafeterias just across the street at the university. All of them serve up some of the most mouth-watering cafeteria food I’ve ever tasted, and because the price (and flavor) is right, we’ve cooked maybe a handful of meals at home. Does Beijing have more of a “cafeteria culture” than Hangzhou, thanks to its wealth of state and government-owned institutions that also provide food service? I don’t know, but I’m loving the experience of leaving the cooking to someone else for a change!

Head on over to WWAM BAM to read the full post. And if you like it, share it.

The group blog WWAM BAM just ran my latest WWAM of the Month interview with Bianca Wan, a Brazil native residing in Chongqing. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

What attracted you to your husband?

I had an instant crush on him because he was a real gentleman and had the features I find attractive in a man. What I love the most about my husband is that he always supports me. He is a very just person and is reasonable most of the time. Plus he never gets tired of my constant need of hugs. Brazilians love hugs. I’m a Taurus as well – we’re very passionate lovers.

Head on over to WWAM BAM! to read the full interview. And if you love it, share it!

The group blog WWAM BAM! (Western Women, Asian Men – Breaking All Molds) just published my piece spotlighting our WWAM of the Month: Toni. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

If the WWAM community held a talent show, you can guarantee Toni would shine onstage. This native of Alexandria, Virginia is a singer-songwriter who can play piano and the guitar. She also speaks Mandarin Chinese, one of the languages she shares with her fiancé Min, who she met while teaching English in Zhengzhou. Wow!

We sat down with Toni to learn more about everything from how she came to China to what it’s like having a bilingual relationship.

Head on over to WWAM BAM! to read the full interview. And if you like it, share it!