Last weekend, something happened which I knew would come eventually. That's right, I had my first real Chinese culture shock. Which isn't bad for over three months of living here. Up until then, I have been blissfully happy in China, to an extent that even surprised me. As I've discussed before, not only are Seth and … Continue reading My First Chinese Culture Shock
In this episode, we really let our inner language nerds shine as we talk about mistranslations! After sharing some personal encounters with bad translations on the metro, in restaurants, and in stores, we go on to talk about why good translation is so difficult to achieve. We even find out that poor translation has actually … Continue reading Episode 12: Translation Fails
What is Ramadan? This week Patrice and Rachel interviewed two of our Muslim friends, Abdullah from Saudi Arabia and Kareemah from Louisiana. We picked their brains, and they told us all about the surprisingly fun time they have while they eat and drink very little for 27 days straight! They take us inside the holiday … Continue reading Episode 10: Going Inside Ramadan
Scroll to the bottom for the 2019 update! I have found the correct recipe! Anybody who knows me has heard me rant about Korean pickled plums at least once. When I lived in the US, I searched high and low for any version of the plum I could buy online, and eventually found the following … Continue reading Pickling Green Plums, Korea Style
Madrid is a huge, urban, crowded city with lots of traffic. I love riding bikes. However, riding in this trafficky city doesn't interest me in the slightest. I've ridden in other downtown areas, but it usually makes me nervous, and Madrid with its narrow streets doesn't make me want to try it here. On the … Continue reading Biking in Madrid’s Green Spaces
The other day, Seth and I felt like we were getting into a bit of a food rut here in China. You can only eat the same 3 things for dinner a certain number of times (noodles, salad with chicken breast, and dumplings) before you start to go a little coocoo-bananas. So when I got … Continue reading Rotating Hotpot Bar: #omgyes China
Jean jackets are totally in. It’s getting warmer, so I haven’t seen them quite as much as when I arrived, but they are seriously everywhere. I’ve even seen a few “Canadian suits” (jean pants/jean jacket combo) walking around the city. We’ve seen jean overalls and VERY ripped jeans, as well. I’m not sure, but I … Continue reading 10 Totally Unexpected things about Living in China
We discuss fascinating Spring festivals and traditions from around the world. From the more sober Holy Week in Spain to the Thai New Year festival, Songkran, where people pelt each other with water, this episode has a bit of everything, so you definitely don't want to miss it! A special thanks to Patti, who told … Continue reading Episode 3: Spring Festivals Around the World!
I've decided to start a new series called "Weird things I've eaten," inspired by a snack brought back from Nanjing in Jiangsu Province this week, and then gifted to me. For those who, like me, have no idea where that is, see map: I have eaten too many weird things not to keep a chronicle of … Continue reading Weird Foods 1
On the challenges and benefits of going somewhere when you don't speak the language. We also give you some protips that will make your endeavor easier. Thanks to our listener who submitted his hilarious story of trying to find a hat for his girlfriend in a souvenir store. To submit your own Lost in Translation … Continue reading Episode 2: Going Somewhere When You Don’t Speak the Language