Chinese fashion isn’t for everyone. The clothes and sizes don’t sit right on curvy body types and shopping at Western stores isn’t cheap. During my crafting obsession I somehow convinced myself that I could make myself a dress without a sowing machine and I ordered beautiful material that just gathered dust. With the help of…
Month: April 2017
Crafting in China
You may have noticed that I’m behind on posts and I’m very sorry! One thing that China is exceptionally great for is crafting – and that’s what I’ve been busy doing. Materials are cheap, high quality and in cities like Shanghai, there are plenty of opportunities to sell the goods you make. A few months…
Restaurant Manners in China
A typical Chinese restaurant offers a wide variety of food including tofu in all shapes and forms, at least four different styles of pork, dumplings, rice, noodles, veggies, fish and chicken. When you order a dish, you’ll notice immediately that the portion is huge – that’s because you’re supposed to share everything. At a typical…
Strawberry Shopping in China
I arrived in China at the end of July with an unexpected craving for strawberries. Several months went by without a single strawberry in sight and I started getting nervous. I had basically given up on ever eating them again, until November came by and incredibly expensive strawberries flooded the streets. For the first month, an average of…
Wasting Plastic: China & Recycling
China is ahead of the Western world in many ways but is still trying to catch up in others. Wasting plastic in combination with not recycling may be the most baffling thing about the country that is so desperately trying to improve it’s pollution situation. While China has taken many effective steps to reduce pollution, it…
Wuxi’s Taoist Temple (Photos)
Wuxi is a great place to visit and explore. On a recent trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the scenic Turtle Head Island, we discovered a beautiful Taoist temple! We discovered quite late that we weren’t allowed to take photos inside… but hopefully the Tao gods will forgive us!
10 Stunning African Creepy Crawlers
Bugs and creepy crawlers usually have a bad rep all over the world. People don’t like them because they’re weird looking, have more legs on them than they need and some bite and sting like it’s nobody’s business. But there are people out there to whom insects and various other creepy crawlers are pretty! For…
Why are there Daily Fireworks in China?
At least once a day I jump out of my skin, sometimes spilling coffee or tea, because of sudden machine-gun-sounding fireworks. These fireworks have nothing to do with holidays and don’t happen at night, so you can barely even see the pretty colors. So why would Chinese people waste their money on day-time fireworks? Many…
Kubuqi Desert Adventures, Inner Mongolia (Photos)
On our weekend trip to Inner Mongolia we got to explore the Kubuqi desert! We actually thought we were going to see the Gobi, but apparently that’s only in Mongolia (Outer Mongolia). Whoops! Despite the mix-up, a desert is a desert and this one was gorgeous! We took the tour with Anda Tours: http://andaguesthouse.com/
Where to Ride a Camel in China?
Camels are fascinating creatures that can live off grass, survive extreme temperatures and they are absolutely adorable. They seem to be quite popular in China since you can ride them at most large zoos and even in the most unexpected places! We once saw a camel dressed up all fancy right outside of our local…
How to Get Cash Anywhere in China: No ATM Necessary!
China is the land of smartphones and genius apps that will make your life easier. People of all ages and financial backgrounds have internet phones, since Samsung/iPhone quality alternative cost less than $150 (and the most primitive smartphones can cost as little as $15). Everyone who has a smartphone also has WeChat, an app that acts…
Long Weekend Flights: Yay or Nay?
I am one of those restless travelers who mopes until they are in a new place, then starts planning the next trip while on the current one. This is why whenever there’s a long weekend, I’m obsessively searching for places to visit! But the airport hassle for just a day or two in a new…
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