The Price of Tea

Episode 10: World Travels

I’ve always been envious of well-traveled people. I imagined them to be part of this special club that I wasn’t invited to because as a kid my parents were always broke and as an adult I’d always been broke. I had this friend growing up whose Dad had a travel agency. While they…

Episode 9: Giving Thanks in China

As fast as day turns to night, and night into day, fall turned to winter.

Apparently time flies even when you’re not having fun.

I was under the mistaken impression that Shanghai would have a winter like, say, Atlanta…

Episode 8: You’re Too Dumb To Be a Doctor

As the sun set on the final day of our first Chinese Holiday, I locked the dog in the kitchen, the final fireworks display commenced, and I received an email from Grace’s teacher. She had requested a “meeting.” No details, no nothing, she just wanted to…

Episode 7: Ride, Sally, Ride

Every morning, once the kids were on the school bus and Rob was on his shuttle bus to work, I hopped on Sally and explored the streets of Pudong. I was finally free to roam, mix and mingle in and around the city on my own terms.

Episode 6:

Sally, Meet Jennifer. Jennifer, Meet Shanghai.

Monday morning came and life started again. The kids were off to school, Rob was off to work, and I was left in our sterile apartment. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t figure out a way to be happy…

Episode 6: Not So Happy Ending

Since neither Kristin nor I knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into, “happy ending” rumors and all, we agreed to ease into the spa experience and start with a low budget, expat-run spa. Though I’m not a member of the primped, plucked and frocked, the little bit of…

Episode 4 — Ugly Americans

Getting my hair done is pretty much my worst nightmare. First, I have unruly hair that is difficult and expensive to tame. Second, it’s the small talk. I hate it. Don’t get me wrong, I can gossip with the best of ’em. Hell, gossip has practically surpassed baseball as America’s…