Tag Archives: Hangzhou
Our Chinese Christmas
My previous post was a universal Christmas Card to you all. Now I shall tell you how we spent our Chinese Christmas. On Christmas Eve the Chinese English teachers at my school invited me out for coffee and cake in the … Continue reading
Shanghai Shenanigans
Hangzhou is ideally located an hour away by train from Shanghai. We left from the snazzy East Hangzhou train station. It felt more like an airport as it was very modern, full of restaurants, and even had proper boarding gates … Continue reading
Celebrating Thanksgiving in China
Being British, I have never ever celebrated Thanksgiving. So when I got a message from a fellow British expat here in China, asking a group of us if we’d like to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday I wasn’t too bothered. I … Continue reading
Teaching in Hangzhou, China
I wake up feeling groggy at 6am as my alarm goes off. Sometimes, if my hair doesn’t need a wash, I give myself the luxury of staying in bed until 6.30. I leave Mitch in bed asleep and feel envious. … Continue reading
Autumnal Evenings in Hangzhou
It’s technically autumn here in Hangzhou but it doesn’t feel like it. The temperature can still reach about 25 degrees in the daytime and I get hot walking around in jeans and a t-shirt. There are a few times when it … Continue reading
Hangzhou Holiday Adventures (Part Two)
We kick-started the holiday with beer, ridiculous amounts of food, McDonalds’ ‘Modern China Burger’, mooncakes, and discovering new parts of the city (Part One can be found here). The second part of the holiday had similar experiences but also a few … Continue reading
Hangzhou Holiday Adventures (Part One)
Despite only starting teaching 3 weeks ago, I’ve just had 12 days of holiday. The holiday was for two reasons. The first is the Mid-Autumn festival. This festival ties in with the full moon and people view the celebration as a time … Continue reading
Exploring Hangzhou’s West Lake
Firstly – all credit to Mitch for these photos. He takes my iPhone and snaps away, sometimes for a long time and I impatiently look at my watch. I then look at said photos later and they are stunning, so, … Continue reading
10 Things I Need To Get Use To In China
We’ve been here for two weeks and I’m slowly learning the new culture and things I need to adapt to whilst here. Here’s my top ten: Tea – I’m British. Nothing beats a lovely tea (with milk!), in the morning and … Continue reading
Rollercoaster Ride Starting Life In China
For those of you who don’t know, Mitch and I got ourselves teaching jobs in Hangzhou, China. It’s in the East, not far from Shanghai. We found jobs through a teaching agency who sorted us with school, accommodation, and a … Continue reading
Helen the Bristolian Backpacker 