Reducing plastic waste II: More ideas!

Last year I wrote a post about reducing the plastic waste we generate in our everyday lives. I listed some things I was doing, like using shampoo bars or reusable bags. If you… Continue reading →

Summer foods in China

The Chinese calendar is sometimes extremely accurate. Last week, more specifically on July 23rd, was the beginning of the period of 大暑 Dashu or “Big heat”, a solar term that normally brings the… Continue reading →

“What kind of trash are you?”

On July 1st, Shanghai became the first city in China to enforce a compulsory trash separation system. Previously there were separate containers and bins on the street for recyclable and not recyclable waste,… Continue reading →

The strange case of Taobao vs AliExpress

The other day I was chatting with a friend who lives in Spain and I was telling her about some bib I had bought on Taobao for Baby A. She often orders things… Continue reading →

Housing prices in China

In China, buying an apartment has been very expensive for quite some time. The comments assuring that the property bubble is about to burst have been there for a long time too, I’ve… Continue reading →

The Dragon Boat Festival

Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, one of China’s traditional festivities that started being an official holiday a few years ago. So tomorrow we don’t work! Yay! This holiday has several traditions, the… Continue reading →

“What does his name mean?”

Every time I tell a Chinese person what my baby’s name is, they invariably reply: “What does it mean?”. This question reveals a very obvious difference in the way Chinese and Western people… Continue reading →

Caring for a baby: Similarities and differences between China and Spain

Baby A. is already 8.5 months old! Time flies, right? By now I’ve had time to experience some differences in customs regarding child rearing. As with anything else, each place has their preferences… Continue reading →

Summer starts today!

Did you know that, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, summer starts today? Yes! Today is 立夏 lixia, the beginning of summer and one of the 24 solar terms in which the ancient… Continue reading →

Data privacy? Not in China

More than 4 years ago, C. wanted to buy an apartment. To that end, he went to a couple of real state agencies to see what they had available. As you would expect,… Continue reading →