It’s been a while since I studied Latin way back in high school, but the phrase “tempus fugit” (time flies) is one I’ll never forget. That’s mostly thanks to the fact that time has just flown by since I made a crazy decision to move to Beijing, China after finishing college. It’s gone by even quicker since July 2010, when I started sharing my experiences with you, all of our amazing readers, right here on this blog. I love doing this job and engaging in a meaningful cultural exchange with people all over the world through this page and our various social media platforms. Helping introduce China, its language, culture, and many of the amazing places that can be found here has been great fun for me. To celebrate the fact that I’ve been doing this for three whole years, here are some little lists of three for your viewing and reading pleasure:

Three of My Favorite Blog Posts

• Swear Words in Chinese: Everyone always wants to learn how to curse in the language they are studying. It’s true of my Chinese students who study English here, and I’m sure it’s true for all you folks learning Chinese. Writing this post was tons of fun; who wouldn’t love getting paid to teach people how to swear?
• Chinese Immersion Day: Planning this day out that is packed full of activities to help you really immerse yourself in Chinese language and culture was a real treat, and I hope it gives people some interesting ideas for how to study.
• Teaching English in China: While I love doing this blog, I have spent most of my time in Beijing teaching English. Working here has been a great experience, and I was happy to share some advice and practical tips for others who may be considering it.

Three of My Best Travel Experiences

• Jiuzhaigou Eco-tourism: My best China travel experience has got to be the 3-day eco-tourism hike we did near the Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟 – jiǔ zhài gōu) National Park in Sichuan. It was challenging, rewarding, and an all-around unforgettable experience.

• Yangshuo: With the Li River (漓江 – lí jiāng) and stunning karst mountain peaks everywhere you look, Yangshuo (阳朔 – yáng shuò) in Guangxi province looks like it’s straight out of a dream.

• Sleeping on the Great Wall: We took our backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags out to the Gubeikou Great Wall (古北口长城 – gǔ běi kǒu cháng chéng). Watching the sun set and ride on one of the New Seven Wonders of the World is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

Three of My Favorite Videos

Get crazy at the Qingdao Beer Festival (青岛啤酒节 – qīng dǎo pí jiǔ jié), held every year in August.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF4MG-JYNY4

The incredible Liu Sanjie performance on the water in Yangshuo.

Santa takes the Chinese capital by storm in the annual Santa Con event.

 

Three Things I’m Looking Forward To

• Going home (回家 – huí jiā): I’m going back to the US on August 1st and will be traveling around the country for 3 months seeing friends, family, sporting events, national parks, and live music.
• Traveling around Southeast Asia (东南亚 – dōng nán yà): At the end of this year, we’re starting a backpacking adventure all around SE Asia that has no time limit. Should be fun!
• Moving to Kunming (昆明 – kūn míng): After more than four years of living in Beijing, I’m ready to say goodbye. We plan to live in Kunming in Yunnan province starting next summer.

 

To all of the readers who have been here with me for the whole three years, thanks for your continued support. For anyone who is new to the blog, feel free to go back and explore a bit; we’ve kind of covered a lot here over the last three years! We’ve got everything you need to learn Chinese right here – just poke around a bit!