Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker.

I was recently reading this blog entry about a very embarrassing travel moment. If you have traveled anywhere you have one (or many) of these. In fact, we all have embarrassing moments in our lives, but somehow doing something stupid in another country is even worse because you know you aren’t just that dummy who [...]

China is known as a non-religious country but it is home to many amazing Buddhist temples. While traveling we got to see these temples and learn about Arhats.
What’s an Arhat you ask? Well allow me….
According to Buddhism an Arhat is a person who has reached enlightenment (nirvana) and is lifted out of the cycle of [...]

We have now officially been here for six-month and it feels equal part much longer and much shorter. In a short half a year period I have taught my first semester of school ever, traveled hundreds of miles all over China and managed to feel comfortable in a culture which is completely different from my [...]

Last week, I broke a tooth. Not just a tiny bit, but the entire back half of my back bottom tooth. I’m all for going “native” when it comes to food, clothes and other things but dentists? Get me a western trained English speaker fast.
I found a Westernized clinic in Hangzhou recommended by some ex-pats. [...]

These are some funny English signs that we saw on our trip that didn’t really fit into any category so I’m putting them all together here for your comedy pleasure.

Some day I hope to know enough Chinese to be able to read these crazy bathroom signs and understand what they really mean to say. But until then I’ll just enjoy the English translation.

One of the most amazing features of Yangshuo, China is the karst peaks that encircle the city. The sight of these rising crooked limestone peaks is something to behold in person, and the best place to really get a look at the peaks is along the Li River.
The Li River runs alongside the city and [...]

Ever since the start of our trip, something was wrong with our bags. We were using our trusty backpacks which we originally got over 10 years ago for our first round-the-world backpacking trips. But now they were awkward and uncomfortable. What was going on?
I started to look at all the other travelers and realized that [...]

In the first part of train travel I talked about things you should know before getting on the train. In this part I’ll talk about the different sections and what it is like actually being on the train.
Classes of Seats:
There are 4 classes of seats on a Chinese train.
Hard Seats: These are not wooden benches [...]

Yangshuo is well known for its courses. That is, classes you can take after you’ve enjoyed all the beautiful scenery. There are calligraphy course, language courses, tai chi courses and cooking courses. Guess which one us little piggies took….
Despite not ever cooking at our apartment (it is cheaper to eat out) Ryan has been dying [...]