Chinese New Year is long over and the heavy smog that blanketed Beijing then for a few days was probably quickly forgotten during the windy, crisp and sunny days that followed. But as it is with blue skies in Beijing, they don’t last long. As soon as the wind drops, … read more
I’m a blonde (I mean my hair color!). At least I used to be. By now, my blonde needs a little bit of maintenance, if you understand, and also some highlights to lighten up the mutt color. No big deal, right? That’s what I thought. Hit and miss of coloring … read more
“Don’t do it – or at least don’t expect anything” “There is no dating in Beijing, just casual hook ups” “Getting laid is easy, finding a boyfriend is hard” “Dating is so difficult in Beijing” “You can’t even get a one-night stand here” Those are some comments I got when … read more
Can you trust the Chinese? Before moving to China I talked to a good friend, who was already living and working in China for almost five years. One of the things he said was “you can never trust the Chinese”. That sounds very cynical, my husband and I thought. And … read more
We just had family visiting, and even though we only stayed in Beijing, we were able to give culinary insights to the greater China. From a feast at the Xinjiang provincial restaurant to an elegant dinner at a Yunnan restaurant, from noodle soup at a small place in a mall … read more
Air pollution in Beijing often reaches hazardous levels. Therefore almost everyone coming to Beijing is concerned about the smog and its impact on your health. But a very different and often overlooked danger is also lurking here – to assault the health of your relationship. General challenges for expat marriages … read more
Chabuduo差不多 – Good enough or not quite? Tony, an Italian friend and business owner, asked his Chinese employee to clean up a document, add a vertical line on the left and have all text aligned with that line. When he was handed the document back, the requested line was there, … read more
I’m at the supermarket, desperately trying to find bleach. But I have no idea what it is called in Chinese, or if it even is common here. Wandering around the laundry and cleaning supplies sections, I eventually find a store clerk I can ask. Of course, she doesn’t speak English, … read more
Laundry – that pesky household chore you probably don’t want to waste much time or thought on. So why am I writing a post about this? Getting your clothes clean, how hard can that be? Well, in China, doing laundry is different than in the US and many Northern European … read more
Beijing is quite notorious for its bad air quality. The smog is especially frequent and thick in winter, when more coal burning and stagnant weather patterns contribute to the accumulation of particles over the city. During this time the levels of unhealthy PM 2.5 particles can exceed many times the … read more