This has been an extremely traumatic week, and I never thought such terrors would come from my housekeeper. In China, it is common practice for anyone middle-class or higher to have a housekeeper (or “ayi” as they are known here). Many ayis also work as nannies, even in expat homes. Usually, you will give a Read More
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Netflix's Marco Polo – Review
My husband and I spent the last week binge watching Marco Polo, Netflix’s answer to HBO’s Game of Thrones and Starz’ Outlander. Marco Polo is about the son of an Italian merchant, trader, and explorer who was left at the court of Kublai Khan (the Emperor of the Mongols) around 1273. Marco Polo was the most expensive Read More
Anything Goes!
I grew up watching the Indiana Jones movies pretty much on a constant loop, and my favorite was The Temple of Doom! I always loved the opening scene where Willie Scott (played by Kate Capshaw) sang Anything Goes in Chinese. My youngest sister always had a ear for picking up songs and could sing this Read More
World AIDS Day – AIDS in China
Today is World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day “is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.” While many developed countries are seeing infection rates drop and have increased Read More
Occupy Everything!
While Seth and I were in Hong Kong for Halloween, we took the opportunity to stop by the Occupy Central protests. It was an amazing experience. If you get a chance to go to Hong Kong, go see the protesters. The area is clean, orderly, and safe. The protesters are pretty much just down there Read More
Erotic, Antique Chinese Art (NSFW)
Over the National Day Holiday, Seth, Zoe and I went to Macau for a day. We originally planned to go to Disneyland, but there was a mix-up with Zoe’s visa and she ended up with one for Macau (“Hong Kong is China” my ass if Chinese citizens need a visa to go there). But we Read More
Hong Kong needs support, not White Knights
I’ve been posting as much as I can about the Hong Kong protests both to my personal Facebook page and to my official Two Americans in China account. I also changed my profile pic to one that shows support for the protesters. I’ve written about it in my newsletter. I’ve been talking to my goddaughter about why Read More
Naked Officials: Criminals or Victims?
Ever since President Xi Jinping came into office and declared a “war on graft,” there has been much publicity surrounding punishments of corrupt officials. Many view the punishment of these people as a good thing, proof that the war is effective. But there is one group of people who seem to be unfairly caught in Read More
Not so different – China and America's Treatment of Teachers
In the past, I have talked to different public school teachers here in China about how much money they make. The Chinese are always fascinated by how much more expat employees are paid than locals, and I am usually equally mystified by how little locals are paid. I truly do not know how some people Read More
Cultural understanding, or — everything you ever knew is wrong!
Many years before I ever imagined I would be living in China, I remember having a conversation with a woman at church who owned rental properties. This woman is one of the most hateful people I have ever met in my life, so what she said probably shouldn’t have made an impression, but it was Read More