Mint Mocha Musings

LATEST ARTICLES ( 186 )

• No Pain, No Gain! China Moments!

  

  I let out an unavoidable grunt. A pack of dogs bark incessantly in the background and the ever present tune of “It’s a small world after all” rings out through... Read more

  Posted on 18 November 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Wonder of Shopping on Taobao: China’s Secret Weapon.

  

  It’s 7:30pm…. on Halloween night. A little three-wheeler Tuk Tuk, loaded up precariously with brown cardboard packages, of all shapes and sizes, darts up the... Read more

  Posted on 10 November 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Being a Bridesmaid in China is More Than Just Holding the Bouquet!

  

  Chao’s ColumnWhat’s trending on Social Media When you get asked to be a bridesmaid in China you know you’re going to be under pressure! Read more

  Posted on 30 October 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Roof of the World: Why Travelling to Tibet Should Be On Your Bucket List!

  

  Until I started posting pictures of our time in Lhasa on various social media platforms, call me naive, but I hadn’t realised just how much this spot, tucked... Read more

  Posted on 22 October 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Backbone of China: Meet My New Friend – A 93 Year Old War Veteran

  

  It’s 9am, I’ve dropped the small person at school and I’ve picked up my good friend and ‘fan yi’ (translator)…When I say “I” — y’all know by now, I’m not... Read more

  Posted on 04 October 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The Hawaii of the East! Is Sanya a Hidden Gem in China’s Crown?

  

  We’d only been in the air 2.5 hours and we were touching down in what felt like ‘a world away’ from Xi’an. The sky was clear, the air was warm and thick with... Read more

  Posted on 21 September 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• The China Dream: A Small Target of $15 Million!

  

  Here in China, forget about Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! They’re all banned!What you have in its place though is We Chat and Weibo. We Chat is a cross... Read more

  Posted on 16 September 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Two Years in China: What I Know Now….

  

  I’ve really struggled to write this post. I’ve procrastinated. Oh how I’ve procrastinated…sometimes choosing washing and window-cleaning over writing! Yes. I... Read more

  Posted on 09 September 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Travelling Solo in China: Is It Safe?

  

  Living in China — Hong Kong and then Xi’an on the mainland — for the past six years, it’s become increasingly obvious, just how safe these cities are. Read more

  Posted on 03 September 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• China’s Culture Club: Flower Power, Fruit Platters and Laughing Gas!

  

  From the outside, it looks like it could quite easily be a quaint British pub. Of course, finding said venue in the middle of China is debatable, but for a few... Read more

  Posted on 21 August 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Travelling to China: Where to Go and What to See!

  

  Having chalked up almost two years in China, I often get asked advice on where to go and what to see, so I thought it was high time I put together a ‘go to’... Read more

  Posted on 20 July 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Traditional Chinese Medicine: That Time I Tried Acupuncture in China….Alone!

  

  In hindsight, I probably should’ve known better than to attempt to go to a local medical establishment in Xi an, on my own! And by that I mean without my... Read more

  Posted on 04 July 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• KungFu But No Panda: Welcome to Third Tier China

  

  It was an extra long weekend in China; the centuries old, Dragon Boat Festival was in action. With barely a patch of water to be found up here in Xi’an, it... Read more

  Posted on 22 June 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• BOOK RELEASE: Once Upon An Expat — Now Available on AMAZON!

  

  Cue fist pumps all ’round! Today is the day! Once Upon An Expat has been released!If you are curious to know what it’s like to live anywhere from Africa to Asia... Read more

  Posted on 06 June 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Laowai in Xi’an—Expat Life in Second Tier China…. with ‘Limitless Laowai’ –...

  

  “You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll say it again…because it’s a phenomenal fact….there are over 600 cities in China and only four are considered first... Read more

  Posted on 03 June 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• My Journey: Expatriation to Reinvention… with ‘Limitless Laowai’ – Part 1

  

  “Like it or not, our identity is often inextricably linked to what we do as our profession; as someone who previously worked outside the home, I know what it’s... Read more

  Posted on 23 May 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Pandas in Chengdu? Don’t Mind If I Do!

  

  Giant Pandas. What’s not to love? They’re furry, cute and cuddly….well at least they look cuddly, from a distance. The ultimate human teddy bear! Read more

  Posted on 20 May 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Shaun the Sheep, Poisonous Plants and Butter Lettuce Bouquets. This is China.

  

  The Wheels on the Bus to Xi’an’s Agricultural Fun(ny) FarmIt began much like a lot of my outings in China. On a bus…. on route to, absolutely ‘no idea’ where! Read more

  Posted on 11 May 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Looking in From the Outside: Toto, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore – This is China

  

  As we hurtle towards the two year mark living here in Xi’an, China, it’s slightly unnerving how much of it becomes your ‘new normal’ …the little things you lear... Read more

  Posted on 04 May 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL

• Get Up & Away with Mint Mocha Musings WIN This Stylish Passport Holder

  

  THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!Simply tell us what your funniest or most bizarre “Lost in Translation” moment has been while travelling the world. Up here in... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2016 EXPAT, SELF EXPRESSION, TRAVEL