“How are things with you and your Shanghai man?” I ask J on the phone as I slurp some coffee and munch on toast.”I hear you have dinner with his family every weekend? Seems like things are getting serious.” “Mary, I’m going to have a breakdown,” J sighs heavily on the phone. “His mom did … Continue reading Dating a Chinese Man (and the unwanted presents that come with it)
My best friend of over 20 years was in Thailand for a Pharmacy study abroad program, thus sparking the entire idea of me going to Thailand before my exit from China. After her gruesome 30 day course involving lepers, TB, getting smacked in the face with a ping pong paddle and elephant “sanctuaries” that reminded … Continue reading Thailand: Beaches, beaches, and more beaches
Thailand. A backpackers haven. The heart of Southeast Asia. The land of smiles. A country that all travelers know they must check off ‘the list.’ I first became interested in Thailand in much the same way everyone else does: The food. I mean seriously, when a country has food THIS good you can’t help but … Continue reading Thailand: Biking Around Ayutthaya and Feasting in Bangkok
Letting Go I know. It’s been ages since I’ve updated. I’ve opened up wordpress and stared into a blank page for minutes at a time, trying to compose my thoughts into something that flows and make sense. I tried multiple times to post something that is profound, moving, touching, and somehow manages to convey all … Continue reading Fitting Back into the USA
20 Something Traveling–Been There, Done That When thinking of a female solo traveler, I’m sure the first image that pops into mind is a 24-27 year old girl simply sick of her 9-5 desk job and craving something more. These women decide to toss the boring life of monotony and, instead, don a backpack and … Continue reading Is there an age limit to solo travel?
Taking The Leap The craziest adventure in my life was not joining the JET Programme and moving to a village in no-man’s-land Japan for two years as the lone foreigner. It was not dropping everything and randomly studying Chinese in Beijing. It wasn’t even venturing through the countryside of China and traveling by bus to … Continue reading The Shanghai Ronin is Leaving Shanghai
Sometimes, you meet people and you know that you were just meant to cross paths somehow. As soon as you lock eyes and shake hands you know that this was meant to be. This connection between one human being and another, one heart to the next, souls that intertwine. My boss Takada-san is exactly one … Continue reading This life, the next one, and the last. 今生、来生、前生
新年好！ Happy Chinese New Year! ‘Tis the year of the Horse, which is usually one of good luck and good fortune. So this year, I hope everyone will ‘马上’ find happiness and ‘马上’ succeed to ‘马上’ get money. I mean really, I hope you ‘马上’ (insert whatever you want here). (*马上 means ‘soon,’ or … Continue reading A Weekend Getaway from Shanghai
I recently saw this advertisement for online dating (matchmaking, rather) and just had to put it on here. It’s the modern Chinese woman’s world summed up into a 30 second commercial. For those that don’t speak Chinese, let me give you the basic line-by-line summary: “This year, I have to get married… for my grandma. … Continue reading Why Aren’t You Married Yet?
I was at work looking through my daily dose of Japanese news when I happened upon this lovely headline story. NHK Chairmain Katsuo Momi on Soldiers and Comfort Women: It Happens Everywhere! Oops, they did it again. I don’t know what it is, but Japanese politicians and other higher-ups just can’t seem to stop talking … Continue reading Comfort Women and Racist Ads
Shanghai Ronin 