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Taipei in 7 Days: Your Guide to Making the Most of Your Time + Culture Shock

So you only have seven days to take a vacation. While some people would tell you that you couldn't see much in seven days, and that you'd pretty much just be wasting your time and money, I say: "No problem" You really can do a lot in seven days, but you can't do everything. So […]

5 things you should expect from your language exchange partner

In a perfect world, you wouldn't have to waste time thinking about things like how your language exchange partner should behave, because they'd be perfect! If that's the case, then good or you! If, however, you're stuck down here on Earth like the rest of us, then pay attention. This article may save you some […]

拜拜! Zhen Qing Temple

Today I went with my fiance's family to a temple in Bali on guī mă shān 龜馬山(Turtle-Horse Mountain) called zhēn qìng gōng 真慶宮. My fiancé's brother will be joining the military for his obligatory  year at the end of the month, so the family went to the temple to bài bài 拜拜, or pray. It is not uncommon for people to […]

Superstitious Me

Okay, so last week in my post These Boots were made for Walkin'! I introduced the topic of superstitions and their relevance in Chinese culture. Seriously, Chinese people make us Irish look like a rational bunch! Whether its passing under a ladder, or opening an umbrella indoors, I have always found superstitions to be quite interesting. […]

Happy belated Valentine’s Day!

I know what you're thinking, this guy must be out of his mind, Valentine's Day was six months ago! Hey, I'm not the brightest, but of course I know that!   Western Valentine's Day qíngrénjiē(情人節) is celebrated on February 14th every year, but there is also a Chinese equivalent to Valentine's Day which was August 13th this […]