How to keep on learning Chinese: Do something fun!
It’s easy to lose motivation to study Chinese, especially on a Summer vacation when all sorts of things compete of your attention. Open a textbook or go to the beach? I won’t blame you for choosing the latter. But what can we do in order to keep on learning and not forgetting everything before continuing lessons in the Autumn? Do something fun every day! Learning should be fun, especially on a holiday so choose a fun Chinese activity that fits your Summer mood. For example: Explore fun apps on Apple Store or Google Play, for example tracing characters on Chinese Writer by trainchinese can get addictive! Listen to podcasts on…
Staying in China while others leave
Most foreigners leave China at some point. Maybe their job contract comes to an end or they move back home for their kids education. Often China is just a temporary home for expats, a place that will only be in memories. I also often get asked how long I’ll stay in China. My situation is slightly different as I’m married to a local and we have a family here, a baby and two cats. We need to consider what’s best for all of us and right now it’s to stay in Guangzhou. During the years I’ve said goodbye to many friends. The downside of being a foreign student in China…
What to accept in the name of culture?
I often get comments or emails asking if something is common Chinese behavior in a spouse or in-laws. They wonder if they are acting in a strange way because of cultural reasons and therefore should be respected even though you find it hard to accept. For example shaving a baby’s head is a common practice in China. Some believe by shaving the hair will grow thicker, some simply think it’s cooler without hair in a hot climate. Would you accept this as a part of Chinese culture? It’s easy to accept the things we agree about. Having dinner with the in-laws once a week gives me a break from cooking.…
How to manage a 10-hour flight with a baby
Last Monday I took our 8 month old baby girl on a flight to Finland by myself. I was a bit worried how it will go as it was a daytime flight which meant most of the hours would be spent awake. Would she scream the whole way or would we receive unhappy states from fellow passengers? At the airport my Manduca baby carrier was a life saver! I could carry Anna and still have my hands free to carry luggage, fill exit forms and buy snacks. I only took it off for the security check as the carrier needs to go through the checks as well. When we got…