The Land Down Under

The past four weeks have been nuts with travel to Australia, Hong Kong and Thailand, plus a slew of assignments, so I've been a VERY tardy blogger. I'm trying to play catch up now.

Hiking in Australia. 

When Leaders Come to Town, Beijing Puts on a Good Face

This week Beijing is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, a big meeting of CEOs and world leaders. Obama is coming to town, Putin is on his way and John Kerry already has been here.

Beijing makes the skies turn blue for APEC. 

Losing face is a huge no-no in Chinese tradition and many individuals will do anything to save face. And that's just what the Beijing government has done leading up to APEC.

Scott bought (a new) moped

About a month after we moved here last year, Scott bought a used moped from a French expat for pretty cheap. He convinced me that it was safe, with helmets, and that it would pay for itself in a matter of months because he'd use it every day to go to work and sometimes on the weekends.

On our new purchase (don't worry, the helmets just aren't pictured). 

The First Year

A year ago today, Scott and I landed in Beijing on a sunny, polluted afternoon. I remember driving through the city, the drab buildings and Chinese billboards seeming completely alien. I feared I never would feel at home here and that all I'd be doing was missing New York for three, long years.

My very first pollution mask, circa Oct. 2013.

Rosh Hashanah in Beijing

Wednesday marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and I figured I needed to find a place to celebrate the Jewish New Year because I had skipped the past two years: last year we were in the frenzy of getting ready to move to China, and the year before I was days away from getting married. My Jewish guilt was officially sinking in.

The Expat (Work) Hours

It's a Friday night here in Beijing. In New York, I would've been relaxing at home on the couch or out grabbing drinks with some friends. Right now, I'm working and Scott is conducting an interview. Did I mention it's almost 9 pm?

It's not uncommon for Scott and me to work until midnight most weekday nights. That's because right as we're about to wind down, the U.S. is ramping up its day, meaning phone calls with editors or changes to stories start coming in around 9:30 pm our time and usually don't stop until 12 am -- and often later.

A Jaunt to Taipei

Last week, I flew to Taiwan to do a story for The Wall Street Journal. I had some extra time and spent a day in Taipei, the bustling, beautiful capital of Taiwan.

The must-see National Palace Museum in Taipei. 

Taiwan is so diverse, a narrow island with mountains in the middle and coastal cities around it. A friend told us it's one of the rare places where you can be on the beach and in Alp-like mountains in the same day.