The Chinese teachers in my English department at school are so sweet and generous. At least three times a week, someone is offering me some kind of food. We all walk around to each other’s cubicle with whatever we have so everyone can share. Sometimes it’s chocolate but most of the time it is dried Read More
Dapeng Beach overnight and a whirlwind romance
Saturday the 13th was my birthday. Kim, Aubrie and our Chinese friend Ale whisked me away to Dapeng Beach. I love the beach and I miss salt water and sea air. I miss walking barefoot in the sand and looking for treasures. We had attempted to camp on a different beach last weekend but that Read More
A little Western comfort in Hong Kong
This move to China has meant completing a lot of “firsts” for us. It’s my first move out of the United States. We are teaching in real classrooms for the first time. This is the first time we’ve been completely dependent on public transportation. We have eaten so many new foods, obviously for the first Read More
Durian part II: my own personal pan evil pizza
Since deciding that durian does not belong in ice cream, I’ve seen many other food groups that have been invaded by the fruit. I’ve been curious but afraid. I remember the conflict of my senses: it smells like onion, it initially tastes like onion and it’s creamy. There’s a tiny bit of sweet toward the Read More
If the zhu fits, have it for lunch.
If you’re reading this, you may have gone to public school. You went to school somewhere to learn how to read, right? If you went to public school, you probably ate public school lunch. You may have had a favorite meal and were so excited when pizza burger day came around. Or mac and cheese. Read More
Snacks: they’re mine and I won’t share. Yes, I’m being shellfish.
I love snacks. I love every kind of snack. Portable snacks. Snacks you eat with a spoon or chopsticks. Snack mixes. Nuts, dried fruits, rice crackers, seaweed, spicy, saucy, sweet, salty… I love it all. I love the textures, I love the sound, I love the flavor combinations. Snack mixes are convenient for an on-the-go fuel Read More
Are chicken feet the next chicken wing?
I knew a little about chicken feet before we moved here. I had first seen them when I still lived in Vermont; a coworker traveled regularly to China for business and once he brought back a vacuum-sealed package of chicken feet. They were in a red sauce but I could still see the toenails and Read More
Durian…evil Chinese fruit or evil Chinese fruit?
Trendy durian When we got to China, we heard about this fruit, durian, and its polarizing effect. You either like it or you hate it. It has a distinctive smell, for sure; it smells like…it’s hard to describe. I think it smells like a cross between a dirty bathroom and feet. And onions. Kim can’t Read More
One of the favorite chapters in our story, Beauport Inn
So many pages… The Beauport was our home base before we left Maine. Even when we lived in Maine, Beauport felt like home too. It was one of our favorite places to get away to. We could relax there. And we could be productive there. I’m adding some more proof of just how at home Read More
Becoming immigrants to China
In a little over a week, Kim, Aubrie and I will be initiating what I like to call Phase 27 of the process of moving to China. Trip prep Phases 1-26 started months ago. Kim began researching how we relocate there, not for vacation but for business AND pleasure. We will teach English in public Read More