Thanksgiving (in a foreign country)

I am thankful for international food stores

I am thankful for amazing Chinese street food

I am thankful for cocktails after a long week

I am thankful for toilet paper that comes wrapped with an adorable kitten on it and an exotic, local and highly "toxic" alcohol called bai jiu

Finally, I am most thankful for my friends and family

I don't know who the girl is in the middle

Differences

between America and China.

In America, the prizes in those crane games are stuffed animals or toys.

In China, you can win cigarettes.

In America, I used to live down the street from the Belgian Cafe.

In China, I live across the street from a pirate ship.

In America, people wear Dior boots.

In China, people wear these:

There are many differences, but the two countries can also unite.

Fearless leaders

I think it's about a monkey

About a month ago, a friend of mine asked me if I'd sing a Chinese song in her school's 10th anniversary celebration.  Sounded simple enough.  WRONG!  One month and countless hours of unanticipated practice time later, I ended up in head-to-toe traditional Chinese garb and makeup infront of hundreds of people on a professional theater stage singing a song that I did not understand.  It was completely ridiculous and hilarious.  DVD of performance is in the works.  In the meantime, enjoy the dressing room photos:

Somehow this is wrong, but words fail to articulate why

3 foreigners, the make-up lady and a local who actually knew what she was doing