“Erin, we have something we want to discuss." “Excellent!” I say excitedly. Rarely are my students so forthcoming with discussion points. “China needs feminism.” This statement comes from Sigrid, one of my Chinese students, as she carefully adjusts her glasses while offering me a wide smile. I pause and shake my head. I certainly did not see this idea coming so early on a Monday morning. Glancing about my university class, I see several of my female students nodding eagerly in agreement while the men quickly turn their glances to the floor, where they stare and shift awkwardly in their seats. “Interesting comment Sigrid.” I smile at her and fall into thought… Over my life I have spent seven years in China where my perception has always been that – at least in the large cities ... read more

The night is stifling hot and for whatever reason I am really not feeling well. My head is pounding and my stomach is off, but one way or another, I am going to get to my destination. I looked at the clock on the wall: 1:45 a.m. My bus was supposed to leave fifteen minutes ago. Phnom Pehn in the heart of Cambodia is not only exceptionally hot – ranging from mid-30s to mid-40s – it is extremely dry and dusty. The broken roads are thick with fine dust, the marketplaces a sweltering maze of vendors where lazy dogs lie sprawled along alleyways and sickly-thin cows graze along the arid roadside. I sit on a hard stone bench while the fumes from an idling bus seep into my already dizzy head. It is not long before ... read more

After five incredible weeks of wandering Thailand and Cambodia, we are back in China! We managed to plan a perfectly balanced trip that combined the best of everything from the exotic beaches of Thailand to the dusty marketplaces of Cambodia. And at the extreme of everything lies a city unlike any other: Bangkok. With about ten million people, Bangkok is a bustling enterprise of everything… and more. From fine hotels to decrepit slums, from noisy roads filled with cars, buses, scooters and tuk-tuks to pedestrian streets lined with endless vendors, the untamed Bangkok has something for everyone! We arrive in Bangkok and ride the local bus to our destination, the famous Koh San Road in the heart of the city. This is the place where one visits to disappear and anything goes. Up until this point ... read more

As the train rolled out of Guangzhou Railway Station, I was lulled by the calming sway of the railcar as it smoothly coasted out of the city centre at a steady 155 kilometres an hour. While I contemplated reading my current book, I could not turn away from the landscape thinking to myself, ‘one and a half billion people lie outside the windows of this train’. This idea is constantly playing in my mind. The cities never end and I often wonder how so many people can live amongst each other and how so much was ever built to begin with. For the entire two hour train ride – with the odd exception of a tiny plot of lingering farm land – there is never a break from the sea of concrete that meets the tracks ... read more

“Oh, oh.” “What’s wrong?” Erin asks me seeing the concerned look on my face. “Well, I just finished grading my exams and it’s a near failing average… I designed the exam at a grade nine level, so it couldn’t be any easier, and I already inflated my grades to meet Chinese standards… I’m going to call the course chair and see what he suggests.” After having the course chair come to our house, we sat down and I explained the situation. After showing him the ridiculously simple exam and the extremely poor results, he looked at me annoyed. “So, what’s the problem?” he asked in broken English. “Why did you waste my time by having me come here to discuss this?” “Huh?” I asked confused. Growing more annoyed he said, “I’m not sure what your problem ... read more