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.

Coming Home

After a wonderful week in the U.S., I made my way back to Beijing, via a 26-hour journey. When I landed, my legs and feet felt and looked like they belonged to an elephant, and I found myself having mixed emotions. I was ready to get back to Beijing, but I didn't want to leave the land of ease: of English menus and signs, of being able to chit chat with the CVS pharmacy clerk, of swiping my credit card instead of needing cash.

Reverse Culture Shock

Thanks to my generous parents, I was able to fly back to the U.S. last week for a family reunion. I was excited, but also nervous to go back to the states; it's been 10 months since we moved to Beijing and I didn't know what to expect on my first trip back.

When I landed in Chicago and stepped outside, the first thing I noticed was the air. It was so clean and fresh, with clouds and blue skies. The second thing I noticed: outrageous food prices. A banana cost nearly $1 (I pay that same amount for three of them in Beijing) and a bottle of water was $2 (typically $0.30 in China).

'Merica: Blue skies, clean air and turquoise water. Yes, please. 

Day Trip to Tianjin

Located about 135 kilometers southeast of Beijing, Tianjin is often thought of as the capital's sister city. When Scott told a colleague we were visiting there, he was told we'd like it, because "white people like that city."

Things white people like in Tianjin: A house made out of recycled pottery. 

Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring

We recently visited Kunming, which is the capital of the Yunnan province, in southwest China. The area is known for its dozens of minorities, who dress in colorful garb, and for its fabulous food, which doesn't taste anything like traditional Chinese -- think fresh mint leaf salads, dried beef with chilies and a lightly fried goat milk cheese called rubing.

Outside of Kunming, Shilin (Stone Forest)