Top 10 Posts of 2014

Well, I for one am happy to see the back of 2014. As much as I love living in Shenzhen, it is so much better than living in Changsha, 2014 was one nightmare of a  year.

But the blog and my writing career are doing much better, which is awesome. So, in case you missed them, here are the top 10 posts from 2014.

1) Be aware of the boob massage.

This is a post I actually wrote almost two years ago, in Jan 2013, but it consistently drives traffic. It didn’t have the most hits in a single day, but over time it has received more hits than any other post. I guess I should write more posts about boobs.

2) The Housekeeper from Hell – Beware of Annie Law

This post was my highest hitting for a single day ever, at 995 posts (my OCD freaked out at seeing that number). My goal was to warn other people about the dangers of being too trusting when hiring ayis and to warn expats in Shenzhen about Annie specifically. The hits on the blog were nice though. Guess I need more traumatic events to happen more often.

3) It’s Not OK to let your kids poop in public. 

Seeing kids poop and pee in public is all too common in China. And far too many people try to dismiss such behavior as cultural. It isn’t. It’s disgusting, rude, and unsanitary. It needs to stop.

4) Penny Dreadful is Pretty Dreadful – Part One and Part Two

I love the Victorian era, so Penny Dreadful raised a lot of hopes for fans of the genre that it would be an awesome show. Alas, it was pretty terrible, especially since it aired at the same time as Ripper Street and Copper, two shows that were excellent representations of the genre that were canceled too soon.  In fact, I think it’s pretty terrible that the show that showed women and minorities in the worst light was renewed while Ripper Street and Copper, which both elevated the roles of women and minorities, were canceled. It says a lot about our society, and nothing good.

5) Book Review: Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity in Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost.

This really old post (from 2012), and I’m glad to see it still getting so much traffic because this is possibly the worst book written about China. I still get mad just thinking about. The book is just so wrong on so many levels, I can’t stand it.

6) Erotic, Antique Chinese Art (NSFW)

Ok, ok, this article is a bit of clickbait since you can find so many more examples of erotica around the web, but I just had to share this artwork I found in Macau. I should have bought the damn thing.

7) Why China Needs Feminism – So All People Can be Held Responsible for Their Actions.

I’ve done a few posts on why China needs feminism, but this one was the most popular, and one that had me fuming. Not only was a 16-year-old girl raped and the man not charged, the girl gave birth to twins and the rapist is not legally responsible for the children! Read this one to get your blood boiling.

8) A Visit to a Karen Hilltribe Village.

This post was part of my Two Americans in China in Thailand series from almost two years ago (I can’t believe our Thailand trip was two years ago!). The trip was amazing and I highly recommend people interested in traveling abroad to go to Thailand. Beautiful country, fascinating history and culture, and delicious food! Out of all my posts about Thailand, though, I think this one is the most popular because of the amazing pictures. When we visited the Karen people, I felt like I worked for National Geographic. The people are beautiful and the “giraffe neck women” are something I never thought I would see in my life. Really amazing trip.

9) China’s New Two-Child Policy Leading to More Sex-Selective Abortions?

This was one of the most depression posts of the year. China recently relaxed some rules regarding the one-child policy to allow more families to have two children. While this is far more of a pittance than many people think it is, it quickly starting some very disturbing trends, including more abortions of female fetuses.

10) Why Guangzhou Closing Its Baby Hatch Changes Nothing.

In China, often the most helpless receive the least amount of help. Child abandonment is rampant here. In the past, babies were usually abandoned because they were girls. While this still happens, the largest number of babies that are abandoned have health issues. Some of the health issues are simple and can be easily corrected while others are life-threatening. China’s one-child policy and the country’s worthless health care system both contribute to this sad state of affairs.

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