Author: Kevin Cook

If you live in China (or plan to live in China) but don’t speak Chinese, this article is for you. Although it’s technically possible to spend a long time in China without ever learning to speak or read 中文, your life here will be waaay more difficult that way. In about a year, I was…

You’ve saved umpteen thousand dollars, have no debt, and the contract with your current employer ends in July. From here, you can either A) accept a position in a new job and continue saving money or B) use that money to travel the world indefinitely. Well folks, if I were you, I’d choose option B. And by…

I’ve been receiving comments and emails lately warning me about the safety of the street food that I eat in my videos. It’s old news that food safety scandals are afoot in China, but it’s definitely not as bad as the media makes it out to be. As somebody who eats Chinese street food almost everyday, I want to shed…

My original plan was to hold off until I can post a video about my experience in Xi’an instead of this story-like post, but, since I’m currently traveling in the XinJiang Province—where extraordinarily heavy internet restriction is the norm due to some recent terrorist attacks in this region—I can’t upload videos at the moment. For now, you’ll just…

Sorry for the hiatus. I may or may not have been staying awake ’til the ass crack of dawn watching the World Cup with friends here in Rizhao these past two weeks. Also, I’ve been busy solidifying my legal residency in China for one more year, sending documents back and forth in the mail and whatnot, so…

I’ve worked in Asia for more than a year, and up to this point, I’ve lived in obscure towns and cities far from the heart of lights and activity. After visiting the oriental metropolis of Shanghai for six days then returning to a small city like Rizhao, I feel like there’s nothing left for me…

Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of my deliverance from domestic adulthood. I started this blog over a year ago to share my experiences abroad with others, and if I had only one bit of advice to give, it would be to live abroad for a year or longer, if you can. Here are ten reasons…

Miang is a Thai snack made from fermented wild tea leaves wrapped up tightly into a chewable pouch that packs a caffeine buzz stronger than a cup of coffee. A bag full of these energy-boosting, antioxidant-rich treats only costs 5 baht (15 cents). A bag of miang only costs 5 baht (15 cents). Miang (mee-yang)…