An exploration of ex-pat life in China
This post originally appeared on Shanghai Mamas. You can find the article here: http://shanghaimamas.org/the-best-and-worst-of-shanghai-making-friends-saying-goodbye/ Spring. The dreaded time of year in Shanghai when we tally up all the friends who have just told us they are leaving as soon as school lets out. And every year it seems like a bigger number than the year... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, we had our second son here in Shanghai. Now that it’s all said and done it feels like a total nonevent, but it certainly was a common topic of conversation leading up to the big day. I was asked by family and expat friends alike how I felt about giving birth... Continue Reading →
I started this blog to talk to moms in Shanghai who are in a similar situation as me—away from family and friends, potentially for the first time, and trying to figure out how to make a life for themselves in a totally foreign land. After a year and a half meeting friends from all over... Continue Reading →
I recently began interviewing moms in Shanghai for an upcoming SEA Courier article on giving birth in China. As my due date approaches, I am more and more interested in other women’s birth stories and can’t help but compare them to my first experience back home in the US. While everyone’s story is unique and... Continue Reading →
A common thread when meeting ex-pats on their journey through Shanghai is that most of them have much more experience being “away from home” than you do. As a first-time ex-pat, the events, activities, adventures, and feelings are all new for me. But for many of the women I meet, this is just the latest... Continue Reading →
When I first moved to Shanghai, I was so excited to be connected with a woman around my age and in my neighborhood who could introduce me to Shanghai. We’ll call her Alexa. Alexa was bubbly, always ready to offer tips on places to buy food, take the kids to play, and where to go... Continue Reading →
The other day I was reading a very reputable Shanghai magazine and came across an article that really frustrated me. The story profiled a working mother who seemed to easily and effortlessly balance being a full-time mother to a young child and full-time employee for her company here in Shanghai. I am sure this woman... Continue Reading →
In our first interview, we sit down with Liz A., a recent transplant to Shanghai. Hailing from the East Coast of the US, Liz and her young family moved here in September 2016 so her husband could take a new job within his company. This is her family’s first ex-pat experience. Believing their time here... Continue Reading →
An Ocean Away 