Tag: Travel

Moving to Germany: Ich Komme Aus Amerika

“Steph! STEPH! I NEED A NEW TOWEL!!” Mark’s voice jarred me awake. Groggy, I peeked into the bathroom. “There was a BAT in my TOWEL!” Wide awake now, I leaned over the tub, and, sure enough, there was a small black little body on the floor of the tub about the size of my palm. I ran out to put my glasses on and fetch Mark a new towel. Apparently during the night, our winged friend decided to roost in Mark’s bathsheet that was hanging by the bathroom window that was cracked open to luft.

While I rummaged, Mark had tried to wrap the bat in toilet paper to toss the carcass out the window. Only, it wasn’t a carcass. It was very much still alive – it was probably sleeping and fell, stunned, when Mark grabbed his towel. The bat flew away, and we gained a new worry about life in Germany.

Crayfish (小龙虾) in China: A Popular Dish with a Corpse-Eating Past?

Everywhere I went, it seemed as if people of all ages were waiting in agonizingly long lines outside popup crayfish-themed restaurants. Advertisements claiming “exclusive new innovative fresh” crayfish dishes plastered shop windows. Limited edition crayfish-flavored snacks replaced the regular Lays, Pretz, and Pringles chips at my grocery store, and even KFC was jumping on the bandwagon with their own roasted chicken and crayfish creations! Why was everyone suddenly so crayfish crazy? I had to know more.

It was while researching crayfish in China that I stumbled upon a surprising truth: what I had been eating is invasive species from the USA! No wonder they seemed so familiar. Yet, how did Louisiana crayfish invade China? How did China become the world’s largest producer of crayfish? Is there a connection between crayfish in China and the dead?!

My post seeks to answer these questions and more! So, let’s grab a beer, put on some cheap disposable gloves, and delve into the saucy, steaming bucket of crayfish history!

The Fake International Taekwondo Tournament, A White Monkey Job Story

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!

A Look Back at 2023

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted an update. To be honest, I hadn’t felt much like writing since losing both my cousin and grandpa. I wasn’t sure about keeping this blog, yet, with life much more stable after a new job and move, I am hoping it’ll help me to pick up writing again. I figure a quick recap of this past year is as good a start as any!

A Day Trip to Tianjin天津

A port city metropolis situated along the Bohai Sea in Northern China, Tianjin is China’s largest coastal city and currently ranks fourth largest in urban population following Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. Meaning “heavenly ford” or “the place where the emperor crossed the river,” Tianjin has historically been the maritime gateway to the nation’s capital of Beijing. Because of its location, controlling Tianjin has been of crucial strategic importance in terms of the geopolitics of the area.

Songyang 松阳: Damunshan Tea Fields and Old Street

Songyang is one of Lishui’s nine counties in Zhejiang and focuses most of its industry in producing high-quality teas. Over 7,500 hectares (about 29 square miles) of the county is devoted solely to the cultivation of tea fields, with more being created every day. A group of friends and I went on an excursion into Zhejiang’s rural countryside in search of these famous tea plantations to experience the hype for ourselves.

Holiday Season Recap and a Visit to Shanghai

It’s been a whirlwind past couple of weeks! Where did November and December go? Now that my classes are finished (as in my classes were co-opted for test review), I actually have free time to blog. Thanksgiving The AYC Thanksgiving this year was held by my friends, Dani and Rachael, as is the tradition for…

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Hong Kong香港: Asia’s World City Part I Kowloon

Bright sunlight sparkled on the water amidst the bobbing solar panels scattered about the ocean. The Shenzhen skyline faded in the distance as my friend, Carol, and I rode a crowded double-decker bus early in the morning across the bridge to the palm tree-lined coast of Hong Kong (HK).  Sounds of Cantonese had washed over…

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