Confused, we looked at each other and felt a sense of growing apprehension. Yet, it was only when the first of many children started filing in (and we were told to hand out the medals and certificates and pose for pictures) that it truly dawned on us: we weren’t invited here to be a part of the competition…We had been tricked into doing a White Monkey Job!
Category: Life in China
The Magic of Bad Chinese Taxidermy
No matter the size of a Chinese city, if it has a museum, chances are high that one is sure to find some funky-looking dead animals there!
Why Wearing a Green Hat Symbolizes Infidelity in China (戴绿帽子)
No other class on a Western holiday elicits such a visceral reaction from my students, and not for reasons you might assume! It is due to green hats being the unofficial symbol for infidelity in China. What scandal started this taboo? How does it affect China today? Is St. Paddy’s Day celebrated at all in China? Read my post for answers to these questions and more!
Living in Limbo
My last blog post, back in October of 2020, saw me packed and mentally gearing myself up for the 14 day quarantine in Shanghai and +7 day stay in a hotel outside my school in Beijing before I’d be allowed back into my dorm and classrooms. At the time, I was optimistic to finally be returning to China. I had the necessary visa and plane ticket. Everything was good to go…Until it wasn’t.
Countdown to Beijing
In what feels like a lifetime and countless cups of late-night coffee later, I’m now set to return to China on the first of November barring I don’t test positive for Covid three days before my flight!
Forward and into the Fray
Still alive and taking it week by week, because what other choice is there?
Online Teaching: Big Drama on Day One
Here we are into the initial days of the 2020 spring semester during the Covid-19 virus outbreak. As my colleagues, students and I are stuck across the globe, we are diligently trying to follow the directives of our higher ups to comply with the government’s solution: e-classes over Wechat. Imagine trying to teach courses over…
Waiting out the Novel Coronavirus
I was supposed to head back to Beijing a week from today. The extent of the epidemic didn’t really hit me until my returning flight with Delta was canceled last Friday. Of course I’d been following the news like everyone else, and I’ve been dutifully checking in daily with my location and health status along…
Ikea in China: Where Locals Come for Selfies, Picnics, and Some Z’s
Ikea in China has become synonymous as a place for all-day family outings, to the frustration of its workers and the amusement of expats expecting a “normal” Ikea shopping experience.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! 中秋节快乐！
I often liken the Mid-Autumn Festival to Thanksgiving in the USA, but Mid-Autumn festival has more similar counterparts in Korea and Japan (with the Chuseok and Tsukimi holidays). During this holiday in China, family members will cook and eat traditional foods, watch tv together, and enjoy the full moon.
Stephwaxpoetic 