Oh how I love Chinese New Year, a festival that has blown out the cobwebs in Guangzhou, brought sweet rain and fresh air, and given the grimiest street corner to most sparkling skyscraper a new clarity and shine. Chinese New Year festivities last 15 days, beginning on the first day of the new moon and... Continue Reading →
7 Things to Love about Dining in China
"B liù shí èr! B liù shí èr!" The automated ticket counter yells "B62" in high-pitched nasal Mandarin, as the five of us stand near the restaurant hostess willing the number to turn over to our ticket, B63. We have been waiting for about half an hour to try a new Uighur restaurant in the downtown... Continue Reading →
Patience is a Persistent Hiss
Learning Mandarin has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my time in Guangzhou. I've spent some time reflecting recently on the ways in which language learning has opened up my world here, helped me make friends, and allowed me to get to know Guangzhou better. With that in mind, here's a look into... Continue Reading →
A visit to the hair angels
This week was filled with local experiences and explorations. We spent all of Tuesday cooped up inside waiting to see if Typhoon Nida – our first typhoon – would get more dramatic. From our vantage point, it was just a very wet, very windy day, but nothing particularly extraordinary. The most climactic/climatic moment was looking... Continue Reading →
It was the Most Beautiful Starbucks I Ever Saw
I swear, every single minute there is something here in Guangzhou that causes me to make a mental note: "I must include that in my next post." I've sat down a couple times to write, but then have closed the computer in favor of exploring or going to sleep after a long day. We were just... Continue Reading →
So Why China?
I started this blog to keep track of our adventures as my husband Amaury and I move to Guangzhou, China. We're so excited to be heading over there after lots of prep, packing, and googling maps and images of our new home. So where exactly is Guangzhou? I've taken to enticing people to come visit... Continue Reading →