After reading an article listing 8 reasons why Western women rarely marry Chinese men on The World of Chinese, I have to wonder: Is my husband completely different from most other Chinese men (he sure is extraordinary) or is it just way too convenient for us to stereotype a whole group of people (a group that […]
I’m currently in the process of moving my blog from wordpress.com to wordpress.org. The blog is getting a redesign and will include much more pictures in the posts and thumbnails of pictures and illustrations on the homepage. I hope to be done with the move in the upcoming days, but I’m not sure if moving all the wordpress […]
For Christmas Eve 2013, I prepare a simple Austrian Christmas dish – sausages with sauerkraut and potatoes. While I’m in the kitchen looking for the right spices, I find pure MSG hidden behind other spices. I show it to my husband. He gets angry and starts a fight with his dad. They agreed that we […]
In November 2012, I’m visiting the Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terraces in Guangxi province. After a night spent in a guesthouse on one of the hills, I start a 5-hour long trek across the rice terraces to another village. I’m trekking with 3 Chinese guys who have also stayed in guesthouses on the hill. November is low […]
I’ll exchange the humid climate of coastal Guangdong for the dry climate of Central Europe tomorrow, but don’t worry – I’ve prepared lots of China-related posts to keep you entertained until I’m back in a few months’ time small talking with locals in China. It’s May 2013. Leaving Shenzhen during its moldiest season is probably not a very good idea. […]
In February 2014, one of my former co-workers who just had a baby girl stops me in my tracks: “Let me see your belly.” After looking at it, she concludes: “It’s really big. You’re wearing quite sexy clothes. You should wear more layers.” She says that on a sunny day with 21°C that reminds me […]
One of my husband’s friends is working as a trainer at a gym. It’s the trainers job to find people they can train. The competition is fierce and more often than not, he doesn’t have anyone to train. If he doesn’t have anyone to train, he earns about 1000 CNY a month (around 120 EUR or […]
After 11 exhausting weeks of early pregnancy, my in-laws arrive in Shenzhen to stay with us for a few months. I love being independent and I’ve always liked living on my own (and with my husband), but I am also a person who’s reluctant to admit that I might need other people’s help, so when […]
One day in the fall of 2013, I listen to two co-workers talking. One is a guy from Northeast China who’s 24, the other one is a woman in her mid-30s who has a 3-year-old child. She tells us how hard it is to find a place in a kindergarten in Shenzhen. The guy says: […]
One day in the summer of 2013, I go to the hairdresser. The guy who washes my hair asks: “Are you from the US?” I: “No, I’m from Europe.” He: “I see. Americans like to fight. They like to go into war with other countries.” Do you think that this is a popular view of […]
One day in November 2013, I’m at the supermarket buying fruit. I go to a square counter that is filled with apples. It’s accessible from all four sides. On the opposite side of the counter, a supermarket employee who’s busy unpacking boxes is surrounded by people. A couple standing right next to me point their finger to him. They […]
I’m at the grocery store. When I’m done with choosing the groceries I want to buy, I find a corner with massage chairs where I can sit down and wait for my husband (he went to another store and is the one carrying the backpack to store our groceries in). After a short while, an […]
One Sunday afternoon in February, 2014, my husband and I sit in our living room drinking tea and chatting. My in-laws have gone to the market and we enjoy some alone time. When they come back, we are still sitting on pillows on the floor, drinking tea and talking about this and that. The next […]
In celebration of publishing the 150th blog post on China Elevator Stories today, I’ll take a look at the top 10 posts, posts 101-150: 10. Guest post: “My wife thinks I have a lover” A repair guy talks about his relationship problems with guest poster Marta’s boyfriend. 9. “Are you pregnant?” One of my co-workers asked […]
Today, I’m introducing a new category to my blog. It’s called Cool Stuff China and in it I will describe some of the things or services you can get here that are either special to China or very popular here – or that I personally think are pretty cool. Some of the things or services I […]
One weekend after I find out that I’m pregnant, I go to buy some comfy clothes with a Chinese friend. When we are done with shopping and eat lunch, she says: “You should buy radiation-proof clothes. These are specially made for pregnant women and if you wear such a dress, people will offer you their […]
Last Monday, newly-wed Grace from Texan in Tokyo has published a guest post from me on her blog. Grace writes thoughtful and engaging articles and her blog includes a wide range of topics (that sometimes come in the form of comics) covering life in Japan, long distance relationships and two recent favourites of mine: “My Big, Fat Texas Wedding” and […]
One day at the end of September 2013, Q, a friend who’s living in Shangri-la, has invited me to come with her to her hometown Weixi, which is located on the hills of a fertile valley in Western Yunnan and is a 5-hour-drive across steep mountain roads from Shangri-la. Weixi is a city surrounded by mountains which is […]
In today’s guest post I’d like to introduce you to Rosie Zhao. Rosie is an American woman who came to China in 2005. Though only planning to stay for several months, everything changed when she met the Chinese man who would later become her husband. They married in her hometown, Milwaukee, in 2007. She currently […]
In the summer of 2012 I visit my friend in her hometown Changsha. She had told me before that everyone is eager to meet me. Her grandparents (especially her grandfather who had helped me find my Chinese name according to traditional 生辰八字 principles – shēnɡchén bāzì in Pinyin or Four pillars of life in English), […]
July 1975, my mother-in-law is sent to the countryside in what is called the “Up to the mountains and down to the countryside” movement during the Cultural Revolution. She is one of many young adults who are referred to as educated youth (知识青年 zhīshì qīngnián). She didn’t go to university, but it doesn’t take more […]
One day in December 2013 I’m at work. One of my female coworker points at my belly and asks: “How many months are you pregnant?” I: “2.” She (seemingly shocked): “How come your belly is already that big with only 2 months?” I: “That’s because it’s afternoon and I ate a lot today.” On a […]
In September 2013, I accompany one of my friends from Kunming to Qujing, a city 2 hours from Kunming. In the evening, we meet up with some friends at a bar. One is a young couple with the woman being 2 months pregnant. They look like they are very much in love. I ask them […]
One evening in September 2013, I take a motorcycle cab back to my place. The driver asks me where I need to go. I tell him the name of the closest bus stop (which is also what I would usually tell cab drivers) and get on the motorcycle. While driving, he asks: “What’s the name […]
In today’s guest post I’d like to introduce you to Marta from Marta Lives in China. Originally from Spain, Marta has been living in China for almost 7 years. She is currently living in Suzhou together with her Chinese boyfriend and when she’s not busy working she likes to write articles for her blogs (except […]
After getting to know that I’m pregnant and in the time before the first ultrasound, my husband is anxious. The doctor has told us that we have to monitor the progress and that chances are the egg would nest in the wrong place. This and the fact that miscarriages are highest in the first trimester […]
I’ve climbed 18 of Tiger Leaping Gorge’s 28 bends when a guy in his 40s with a horse crosses my path. While he walks by, he looks at me and says with a friendly smile: “You’re beautiful.” I’m out of breath and he comes to a halt, asking: “Do you want to ride the horse […]
One day in mid-November 2013 my husband and I go to a women’s and children’s hospital. We haven’t been to this hospital before, but after having been sent to do a blood sample every third day, we have decided to change the hospital and this one was recommended to us by a coworker. It’s time […]
In March 2008, just a few months before the start of the Summer Olympics in Beijing and right after protests took place that would later lead to deadly riots in Lhasa, Q, a friend from Northwestern Yunnan gets a call from her mother. Her mother is an ethnic Tibetan while her father is Han-Chinese. Their […]
One day I want to go for lunch. On my way to the restaurant, I walk past a café. I hear somebody call my Chinese name. I think that this is just my imagination playing a trick on me and walk on. But then I hear somebody call my name again. One of my female […]
On yesterday’s 元宵节 (Yuánxiāojié), translated as Chinese Lantern Festival, which falls on the first full moon of the Chinese New Year and marks the end of the new year celebrations in China, my company prepares 汤圆 (Tāngyuán), sweet glutinous rice balls filled with sesame paste. It’s tradition to eat Tangyuan, which come in the shape […]
Ever since becoming pregnant I haven’t been out and about as much as before (meaning less conversations with locals), so starting from today I’ll skip posting on Thursdays and stick to a schedule of two weekly posts on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Make sure to come back on these days to check out the latest posts. […]
After getting back the results of the blood works and confirming that I am indeed pregnant, the next time I see the doctor she sends me to do blood works again. And three days after that, again. It’s too soon to do an ultrasound yet. But why does she send me to do blood works […]
Everytime Y travels somewhere or takes on an important task, it rains heavily. And each and everytime this happens, he’ll say: “Do you believe it now? My mother came to believe it because it just always happens.” Came to believe what? Read on and I’ll tell you the answer. When Y is still little, he […]
After seeing the results of the pregnancy test and telling me that we need to monitor the progress, the doctor tells me: “There are three things you need to avoid: ‘Lifting heavy things, falling down and sharing the same room’*.” I: “I’m sorry?” She: “You can’t sleep with your husband. You might have different ideas […]
This is the last part of a conversation I had with a cab driver who took me to the airport in Shenzhen. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Click here if you’ve missed part 1 (“Is learning English hard for you?”), part 2 (“Do you know Deng Xiaoping?”), part […]
This is part 5 of a conversation I had with a cab driver who took me to the airport in Shenzhen. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Click here if you’ve missed part 1 (“Is learning English hard for you?”), part 2 (“Do you know Deng Xiaoping?”), part 3 […]
One day in mid-October 2013 I go see a Chinese doctor at a TCM hospital. I’ve had some menstrual problems I want to treat, so I go to the gynecological department. The doctor prescribes me a mix of herbs, ear acupuncture and moxibustion. After a week, I feel quite good about the treatment. There’s only […]
6 years ago today, my husband is near Guangzhou railway station. He’s not the only one. It’s the time of Chunyun (春运 chūnyùn), the yearly mass migration that China experiences before the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. Guangzhou and Beijing are the biggest transport hubs in mainland China and every year in the weeks […]
This is part 4 of a conversation I had with a taxi driver who took me to the airport in Shenzhen. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Click here if you’ve missed part 1 (“Is learning English hard for you?”), part 2 (“Do you know Deng Xiaoping?”) or part […]
I have recently started working out and with that I have started craving fruits. Every second day or so, I work out after getting off work and arrive at home really late in the evening. Exhausted from working out, you can often still find me in the kitchen late at night, preparing fresh fruit juice. […]
This is part 3 of a conversation I had with a taxi driver who took me to the airport in Shenzhen. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Click here if you’ve missed part 1 (“Is learning English hard for you?”) or part 2 (“Do you know Deng Xiaoping?”) and […]
Linda from Living in China has asked me about reasons why many AMXF (Asian Male, X Female) couples marry so soon into their relationships. I can’t answer for others, so Linda has created a survey to ask other couples about their experiences. Anyone in a relationship with an Asian man can take part and it’s […]
I’m climbing Northern Yunnan’s Tiger Leaping Gorge. I’ve met a German and a French on the bus, and we walk up the mountain together. At one point, we come by a lonely stall high up in the mountains selling fruits and veggies. I point at some leaves and ask the woman selling these things: “What […]
One day in October 2013, I wait for my husband to get ready for getting off work near the entrance of the company. One of the female coworkers comes up to me. She touches my belly and asks: “Are you pregnant?” I: “No. I’ve been starting to work out and I’ve gained some pounds in […]
This is part 2 of a conversation I had with a taxi driver in Shenzhen. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Click here if you’ve missed part 1 (“Is learning English hard for you?”) and stay tuned for part 3-6: Weddings and gifts, “Do you like China?”, “The most […]
This is part 1 of a conversation I had with a taxi driver. The conversation was rather long, so I’ve split it into 6 parts. Stay tuned for the other parts: “Do you know Deng Xiaoping?”, Weddings and gifts, “Do you like China?”, “The most important thing is happiness” and “Does Austria also have birth […]
“I’ll make you gain weight. 2-4 kilos the first month, 4-6 the second month and 6-8 the third month. Believe me, it will work.” It wasn’t that I didn’t want to believe it. But rather that I’ve heard this all too often and it had never worked so far. When I came down with a […]
In today’s guest post I’d like to introduce you to Rose from Life in Shenzhen. Rose has been living in Shenzhen for almost five years. She has a Master’s Degree in Educational Studies and works as a teacher and education specialist, with recent experience in special needs. She writes for Afar Media at http://www.afar.com/travelers/rose-symotiuk/. She […]
This is part 2 of 2 of a conversation with L, a woman in her mid-twenties working at a massage parlor. Click here for part 1 (“Can pregnant women have massages?”). This post is about women’s issues and might not be to everyone’s taste – I’ve warned you. The whole-body massage includes back, arms, legs, stomach […]
China elevator stories 