Category: Blog

  • Thai Beer-Drinking Guide

    Beer aficionados won’t be impressed with Thailand’s limited selection of domestic brews, but if you’ve got an open mind, Thailand’s beer can certainly get you tossed as well as any. Chang, Singha and Leo make up the holy trinity of Thai beers. In this brief guide, I analyze this trifecta of bevies and offer my suggestions to tourists seeking suds…

  • Live in China but Don’t Speak Chinese? Here’s How to Fix That

    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…

  • My Plan to Travel the World (with 20 Dollars a Day)

    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…

  • Is it Safe to Eat Street Food in China?

    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…

  • Journey Across China – Xi’an

    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…

  • 100th Post Announcements: Summer Plans, Next Job

    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…

  • Itchy Feet Again

    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…

  • 10 Reasons To Live Abroad for a Year

    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: The Weird Thai Snack With More Caffeine Than a Cup of Coffee

    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)…

  • 10 Travel Tips for Visiting China

    As a country undergoing the grandest developmental makeover in recent history, China is becoming an increasingly popular destination for ESL teachers and backpackers alike. Traveling to China for the first time can be intimidating, but it shouldn’t be if you come prepared with a few travel tips. 1. Don’t project American standards onto China A problem…