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5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Teaching English in China
Next month, a new wave of foreigners will step into classrooms as teachers for the first time. Some people are excited for the experience and others are absolutely terrified. I’ve got a year under my...
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Intro to English Corner
In just a few weeks, classes will start, which means that English corner will also start up again. Most schools require foreign teachers to participate in some sort of English corner regularly. The...
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Where to Stay in Chengdu – Mrs. Panda Hostel
While I love my current campus and city, I also love being only an hour from the capital of Sichuan province – Chengdu. I spend almost every weekend in Chengdu exploring temples and ancient streets,...
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Why China: Although, not Because
In honor of National Day, I think it’s finally time for me to attempt answering one of the hardest question I get from home and abroad: why China? Badaling section of the Great Wall, Beijing My usual...
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Shuangqiao Valley –双桥沟
Of the three valleys in Siguniang National Park, Shuangqiao Valley is the most easily accessible and, not surprisingly, the most “touristy.” While it’s the most crowded of the three parks, the small...
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Changping Valley –长坪沟
Slightly less touristy than Shuangqiao Valley, Changping Valley was our second hike in Siguniang Mountain. The park entrance was also conveniently located a few steps away from our hostel. We still...
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Shut Up and Dance, Really
The beginning of the school year here includes the same things as almost any other school: administrative meetings and receiving schedules, textbooks, and class rosters. Our school year also begins...
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Halloween In Chengdu
This past Saturday was, finally, HALLOWEEN! After having a less than successful first Halloween in China last year (being without a passport/homeless for a night, losing my cell phone on a bus, and...
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Four Girls Mountain –四姑娘山
First of all, I am embarrassed that it took more than a year for me to not just make it to, but to HEAR about Four Girls Mountain，四姑娘山 － SìgūniangShān. I don’t even have a good story about how...
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11 Ways to Stay Single
Today is a great day. Today is SINGLES’ DAY! Singles’ Day, 11/11, is China’s holiday for, yes, celebrating the joy of being single. Singles’ Day is also an insane online shopping day for sites like...
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Leshan Buddha – Checking the Box
Unlike Four Girls Mountain, which I went a year without knowing ANYTHING about, I have known that the Leshan Buddha exists from my first week in Sichuan province. Leshan is famous for its giant stone...
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Thanksgiving in China
It’s been more than a week, but I’ve successfully survived my second Thanksgiving in China! Celebrating western holidays in China is strange and frustrating at times, but as always, there is never a...
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Cultural Differences: Cheating
Squat toilets, crowded buses, children with split pants, chicken feet – these are NOT a few of my favorite things, but they are things I have learned to tolerate in China and they just don’t phase me...
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Merry Christmas from China!
It’s officially Christmas Eve in China AND America, so most importantly, Merry Christmas! The semester is almost done and for at least tomorrow we’ll take a break from classes to actually celebrate...
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Spring Semester Brain Dump
It’s been A WHILE! Last time I updated the blag was Christmas and since then I celebrated New Year’s Eve in Xi’an, finished a semester of classes, spent about seven weeks backpacking through southeast...
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Terracotta Warriors and Chicken Paintings: New Year’s in Xi’an
When trying to decide where to spend New Year’s Eve, the main goal I had was “not in Pengshan.” Not only did I briefly escape Pengshan, but I made it to a new city and province. There are SO MANY...
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My Life as a Pop Sensation: Christmas Eve Edition
Two years ago, if someone asked me how I would be spending Christmas Eve, I would have said either watching It’s a Wonderful Life with my family, or possibly abroad, spending a relatively low key...
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Actual Life: Weekend Edition
After living in China for almost two years, one of the questions my friends have started asking is “So….what do you actually do in your free time” and I think that’s a completely valid question! Some...
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Actual Life: Weekday Edition
If you’re thinking of teaching in China, or just wondering what I’ve been doing for the past two years, you probably want to know what an average day as an English teacher looks like. I spend my...
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Two Weeks in Thailand
In 2015 I spent two weeks of my winter holiday in Thailand, specifically Phuket, and while I had a great time, I could have made much better use of my time. Surprise, there’s A LOT more to Thailand...
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