Cooking authentic Chinese food at home is a great and tasty way to immerse in the local culture. And with the right tools, ingredients and recipes, and maybe some hands-on instructions, Chinese cooking is not difficult. As a Beijing expat you may think, eating out Chinese is so convenient and … read more
If you have traveled a bit, you know that bathroom/toilet standards can vary – a lot, even within a country. So, how are Chinese toilets? Well, this requires a long answer because the standards span a very wide range. To sit or to squat? There are two types of toilet … read more
Chinese like to eat out and there are restaurants on every corner of a Chinese neighborhood, from hole-in-the-wall to multilevel banquet halls. In Beijing restaurants you can explore authentic Chinese food (not what is served as Chinese food in Western countries) or fall back on the more familiar Western cuisine. … read more
Going shopping is ingrained in our everyday lives, whether for daily necessities, favorite items, or just some window shopping or retail therapy. Part of the fun of exploring other countries is to check out what is being sold, how and where. My husband and I like to browse through markets … read more
When living in or travelling to China, the Beijing Smog is always a hot topic. Environmental issues in China recently made international news, especially in January 2013, when Beijing was blanketed by heavy smog. Air pollution is a serious concern and can affect everyday life. Is the air quality in … read more