The China Monologues: Outstanding move
Covered in dust, dirt and little cuts and scrapes, I took a look around. In the matter of just 12 hours, we’d done it: We’d packed up damn near all...
All Stories
The China Monologues: Sneak past the sleepers
“So, uh … how long will they stay asleep?” I whispered to my friend. “Oh, until sunset at least,” she replied far too loudly. I scurried on, too far along...
The China Monologues: Scammer gets the best of street-savvy expat
A crowd had formed. The monk had hold of my dear pal’s wrist. I use the term “monk” loosely, as proper monks don’t typically force donation via public humiliation and...
The China Monologues: Trouble with O’s and knowing where to go
It was a morning of little battles. My students were struggling to stay in their seats, and I was quickly losing my cool. As adorable as they were, there were...
The China Monologues: Keeping cool at Thailand’s Grand Palace and ruins
“Wow, would you look at this? That’s the library,” I said — I thought — to Manfriend. A confused Chinese tourist stared back at me. Sigh. I started scanning the...
The China Monologues: Perfect blend of novelty and routine
“So, what do we think?” I asked with a grin. Manfriend pretended to shudder. “My god,” he said, smirking at the bob atop my head. “I rather fancy it,” I...
The China Monologues: More waste than you can shake a chopstick at
As they argued, I smiled awkwardly. "Of course it's everything. Look at how much there is!" "But are you sure you got everything?"
The China Monologues: Personal and Chinese history mix in the Forbidden City
"That's it," I said, utterly out of breath. "I'll just stay here." "Come on now, babe. It's just up ahead ... ish." Oh sure, Manfriend. Sure. This Coloradan knows all...
The China Monologues: Impressive growth in tight spaces
"Remember to take up space!" "Yea, Adriene! (my YouTube yoga teacher) Let's take up space!" Halfway through the practice, I was in the zone. I raised my arms up to...
The China Monologues: No use crying over spilt milk tea
Today, I share a cautionary tale, all about an unfortunate meltdown in a Thai restaurant. Let's call it the Curry Puffs Caper. Yep. It all started with curry puffs. Prior...