expats Posts

Aug112011

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Posted By
Ryan

We’re looking for a few good Laowai

Lost Laowai Wants You Like to write? Got something to say about being a foreigner in China? Why not contribute your thoughts and opinions to the Lost Laowai Blog?

We’re looking to stir some fresh expat pee into the writer pool here. If you’ve got a unique voice, a solid ability to write, and — most importantly — something to say, we’d love to feature your contributions here. Whether you’re dredging out an existence as an ESL teacher, toiling away in the salt mines of Chinese learning, or comparing the size of your (expat) package at the local laowai bar; we want your thoughts, opinions and stories.

Check out the contribute page for some basic guidelines and short FAQ, and then get in touch! Simply outline who you are and why you’d like to contribute. Past writing experience is favoured, but not necessary. We’re a blog, not the New York Times, after all.

Apr262011

7Comments

Posted By
Ryan

How prepared are you for an overseas emergency?

The game Scruples; that’s the first thing I thought of when I read “Plea for help to get sick Aussie home” in the Canberra Times this morning. The Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to fund the repatriation of a former air force serviceman who has been in a coma in a Chinese hospital for [...]

Apr082011

12Comments

Posted By
Travis

Love, with Chinese characteristics (a conversation)

“You need to understand,” Walter said, lighting a cigarette. “Chinese love is real love.” “And American love isn’t?” Nick said. “Western love,” Walter said, “is not real love. Not in the Chinese sense. It’s not. Their love is deeper, truer.” “Yeah,” Nick said, “I can see what you mean.” He could too. One night at [...]

Jan242011

20Comments

Posted By
Travis

The 7 Year Laowai: Part 8 – The Graveyard of all Ambition

… He died an old man in a cold Chinese hospital an entire hemisphere removed from everyone and everything he had ever known. Surrounded by strangers, he couldn’t even have read his own obituary.

Jan132011

4Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Shangdown — Interview with Shanghai spaghetti western director Jakob Montrasio

When Shanghai-based expat Jakob Montrasio first told me he was directing a spaghetti western set in his adopted city, I’m sure I blinked uncomprehendingly. The movie, Shangdown: The Way of the Spur is an east-meets-west kung fu cowboy mashup.

This Bruce with boots (or Clint with a kick) premise for a film seemed strange and intriguing, so I decided to probe a bit further into what the movie was all about. My interview with Jakob is below. But first, how about a more official synopsis (and a trailer):

Jan082011

11Comments

Posted By
Travis

The 7 Year Laowai: Part 7 – Safety

I had an English class once where this girl interrupted me to ask what I thought of Japan, and without waiting for an answer, proceeded to tell me that Japan had killed many Chinese people, that they hated China, they were jealous of China. Then she went into Korea. Korea “stole our culture”. You’d think imitation the sincerest form of flattery, but not this girl.

I didn’t know what to say. On one hand, listening to this recorded message, it dawned on me that I was 12,000 miles away from everyone and everything I had ever known…and that according to some people, this, this, blind allegiance, blatant censorship, and self-checking all in the name of “harmony”…this is the next superpower.

On the other hand, she was speaking. I take what I can get.

Jul312010

6Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Laowai Answers to questions about China

For what feels like forever, I’ve been tinkering away at a new feature here at Lost Laowai, and I finally feel its at a stage where I can announce it. It’s called “Laowai Answers” and it operates pretty much on the same principle as any of the many of other “q & a” components out there — most notably Yahoo Answers and Answers.com — except ours is completely China-focused.

The concept is simple — have a question about China, post the question, get a answers from fellow China expats and travellers. Just a lil’ Laowai helping Laowai love. A two-way street where expats can gain and share knowledge about living, working and playing in this crazy country we call home (even if for some that’s only temporary).

Apr262010

35Comments

Posted By
Ericka

You know you’ve been in China too long when…

You know you have been in China too long when:
You start shaving your eyebrows and stop shaving everywhere else;
You don’t know the conversion between CNY and USD;
You send back ice water for hot water;
You have a stock pile of deodorant;

Oct162009

5Comments

Posted By
Rick

On Trusted Laowai Voices

While taking a break from my usual browsing of lolcats and youtube videos, I stumbled across this post by Shaun Rein entitled How to Deal with Piracy in China. I’m not especially familiar with Rein*, but once I ascertained that he was a businessman in China for the long haul, I felt that I could pretty accurately predict where his article was going.

This notion of predictability got me to thinking about something I had read from Paul Denlinger a few days back:

Oct052009

3Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Oli, the world’s first Blogstar, really.

Long-time China expat blogger Oli, of djod.co.uk, is taking on the task of becoming “the world’s first Blogstar” via a rather zany new webcast called (appropriately enough) Blogstar.tv. The just released first episode, Window to the West, follows Oli on his search to secure more Chinese visitors to his blog. Anyone looking for seriousness need [...]