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Category Archive: China Generalizations

Split Pants

Split Pants

Over Christmas, Christian and I received a wedding present from Christian’s co-workers: a big box of baby clothes! You see, that’s what happens when you …

 

Festival of Silly Quandaries

Festival of Silly Quandaries

This morning, Christian asked me when I wanted to open Christmas presents. I looked at him as if this should be a “No, duh” situation …

 

Score One for the Buddhists

Score One for the Buddhists

We’re officially not getting a Christmas tree! Woo hoo! I feel like I won. I don’t know why, possibly because I’m the likely candidate for …

 

The Ayi Dilemma

The Ayi Dilemma

Every expat wife I’ve met with at least one child has something called an “ayi.” Ayi (阿姨, pronounced like: “eye-ee”) is Mandarin for “auntie,” and …

 

Small Packages

Small Packages

Today, we learned something about the Chinese postal service: We all cried a little.

 

Just Can’t Take the Girl Anywhere

Just Can’t Take the Girl Anywhere

The plant manager at Christian’s work is a fairly typical rich Chinese businessman. He terrifies his underlings to the point that they feel compelled to …

 

Where Have all the Chinese Men Gone?

Where Have all the Chinese Men Gone?

It’s a commonly cited statistic: since the early 1980s, shortly after the one-child policy went into effect, the male to female birth ratio became really …