Living with Chinese in-laws…or not?
I’ve been now living with my Chinese in-laws for a year and reading Jocelyn’s recent blog post inspired me to write more what it is like to live with your Chinese husband’s parents. Jocelyn writes that she is happy in staying in the family house and the village that surrounds it, but honestly speaking I wouldn’t be able to do that my self. Of course there are many good reasons for all to live together. You don’t have to pay rent for example that can be very expensive especially if you live in the center of a big city like Guangzhou. Moving to the city would make my husband’s daily…
Little Sister’s Chinese Wedding
My boyfriend‘s little sister got married right before the new year. The wedding was a traditional modern Chinese wedding, at least according to my knowledge many Chinese weddings these days follow the same steps and therefore her big day is a great example of a Chinese wedding. First thing in the morning was to start with hair and make-up. While the bride was enjoying a facial mask, her mother, me and the bridesmaids got our make-up ready and hair done. It took a good few hours before she was able to start hers, change to her wedding gown and do final touches to her hair. Relatives started arriving during noon…
Us balinghou
While been living in China for almost four years, and especially living with a Chinese family most of 2013, I’ve noticed the big gap between generations. I have also noticed how some children follow in their parent’s foot steps but some feel themselves so foreign in their own families. The whole extended family is worried about me and my boyfriend moving to the old family house. They are worried that the stress would be too much for us and we won’t be able to take care of ourselves. They can’t understand why anyone would want to live in an old house where there is so much space in the new…
The Ugly Side of Parenting in China
I try to be patient, I try not to hate China, I actually really do enjoy my life in Guangzhou, but there is something about Chinese way of child rearing that I just can’t accept. As I’m slowly getting closer and closer to 30’s, having a family of my own isn’t that far away in the future anymore. Being in a multicultural relationship, parenting is one huge topic you need to consider before it’s too late. Of course there are as many parenting styles in China as there are parents, and child rearing is easy when you don’t have your own kids, but for some reason I have recently witnessed…