Mint Mocha Musings

LATEST ARTICLES ( 186 )

• Don’t Call Us ‘Leftovers!’ China’s Unmarried Women Hit Back at Ikea.

  

  The 30 second television advert begins with a tense family dinner scene. A young woman turns apprehensively towards her mother and says ”Ma Ma…”Her mother cuts... Read more

  Posted on 04 December 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Lord of the Rings! My Journey to China…And Back. (Podcast)

  

  When Michael from Global From Asia wanted to chat to me for his show, how could I possibly refuse? An American who’s kicking butt in Shenzhen, married to a... Read more

  Posted on 25 October 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Moving Overseas? Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust.

  

  Living overseas, as an expat, usually means your children will be exposed to some magnificent wonders of the world. Not only will they be immersed in different... Read more

  Posted on 28 September 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Paris of the Pacific: Is New Caledonia Worth Visiting?

  

  If you’re expecting cobbled-stoned lane ways, an abundance of outdoor cafes where you perch on chairs squeezed together around a minuscule table, just big enoug... Read more

  Posted on 14 September 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Life After China: Six Months In, the Reality of Returning Home!

  

  Suddenly out of nowhere, it hits me! Ah hello, I’ve been waiting for you. Wondering when you’d make an appearance and rain on my homecoming parade. Read more

  Posted on 11 August 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Expat Looking for Your Next City? The Cheapest Places in the World to Rent!

  

  As an expat living overseas, we all too often find ourselves consumed with thinking about the “next place!” Where to when this gig expires? Read more

  Posted on 02 August 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Digital Kingdom: Will China Be the First Cash-Free Society?

  

  Written by Nicole Webb and Chao Huang, Edited by Nicole WebbLiving in China, my purse was usually stuffed with wads of cash. Sadly, not because I was super... Read more

  Posted on 06 July 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Fake Handbags, Frozen Margaritas and More Than 50 Shades of Grey: My China Tribe!

  

  My heart was broken.For a moment, it felt like I’d travelled back in time to those heady teenage years when breaking up with a boyfriend turned you into a... Read more

  Posted on 31 May 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Having a Baby in China…the Good, the Bad, the Ugly!

  

  Written By Chao Huang Nicole Webb, Edited by Nicole WebbOne of the first stories about giving birth I heard in China was from Chao.. Read more

  Posted on 18 May 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Through the Eyes of My Expat Child! Lessons Learned.

  

  People keep saying to me, “Oh your little girl must be loving the normality of being back home in Australia.” I smile, nodding meekly, not wanting to seem... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• China’s Smoking Gun: Somebody’s Making a Killing! #ThisisChina

  

  When your taxi driver casually offers you a cigarette, Toto, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore.When I first arrived in Xi’an, China, it felt like a time... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• 5 Expat Mistakes and How to Avoid Them!

  

  If you’re about to make your big move overseas, this guest post by Mint Mocha Musings’ partner OFX hits the nail on the head! In fact, I wish we’d had it... Read more

  Posted on 27 March 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• From a SkyScraper in Hong Kong to a Hotel in China and a Townhouse in Suburban...

  

  For the last seven years, as an expat, our housing situation has been anything but “normal”.For the first four years, we lived on Hong Kong’s sparkling harbour... Read more

  Posted on 19 March 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• #TheBigMove: From Expatriation to Repatriation – The Ultimate Survival Guide

  

  When you go overseas as an “expat” invariably a lot of the ‘organising’ is done for you, under what’s known as an ‘expat package’. Read more

  Posted on 05 March 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Aliens Down Under? Three Weeks In…..This is Australia

  

  What is it about Australians and muesli bars? You might remember at the writers conference I went to in Guangzhou, a lovely Tassie lady saved my bacon, digging... Read more

  Posted on 10 February 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Dear China, Thanks for the Memories!

  

  Dear China,I feel like a bit of a traitor just taking off and leaving you like that but rest assured, while I’ve reached out to greener (fresher) pastures, you... Read more

  Posted on 30 January 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• China’s Little Emperors – Victims of the One Child Policy?

  

  Written by Chao Huang Edited by Nicole WebbAn eight second video clip featuring a boy around ten kicking his mum five times because she wouldn’t let him play... Read more

  Posted on 19 January 2017 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• When Parallel Worlds Collide: A Party of Writers in China

  

  “Stride with purpose” I chanted silently to myself, as I marched through the entrance of Sun Yat-sen University in downtown Guangzhou, China – mercifully... Read more

  Posted on 28 December 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Ultimate Guide to Getting Hot & Steamy with China’s Favourite Food: Hot Pot

  

  “All the girls love hot pot!” he said, grinning at me like a Cheshire cat! The girls around him nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Read more

  Posted on 15 December 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• When Two Worlds Collide — Your Perception is Your Reality!

  

  At the start of my Chinese class each week, my tutor asks me if I have any questions. Usually I have a bunch of things I want to say and need to know the best... Read more

  Posted on 02 December 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL