10 Things I did for the first time in Australia

1. Attended a surfing competition
2. Visited a Bahai temple
3. Tasted passionfruit
4. Hung out with wallabies in the park
5. Saw wild cockatoos playing in the rain
6. Heard the laugh of the kookaburra
7. Got entangled with a leech
8. Swam with sea turtles
9. Saw the littlest penguins in the world
10. Frightened a platypus

10 Things you can do with a sarong

1. Wear it as a skirt or dress.
2. Use it as a colorful table cloth.
3. Dry yourself off. They are amazingly absorbant!
4. Decorate the room. Throw it over a chair or tack it to the wall.
5. Use it for privacy when changing clothes in public places.
6. Spread it on the ground as a picnic blanket.
7. Bundle your stuff. Tie the corners together for a laundry bag.
8. Storage. Tie the ends up like a hammock to keep your stuff off the floor.
9. Cradle your baby. Tie the ends around your neck & waist.
10. Keep warm. You'd be surprised the difference they make. 

10 Things I love about Hamilton

1. You can walk down the street without navigating through a sea of people.

2. There are never any more than five people on the public bus at one time.

3. The cashier at the grocery store asks me how my day is going.

4. There is a restaurant for almost every type of cuisine you can think of.

5. Riding in the left-hand seat as a passenger in a car is fun!

6. Since New Zealand dollars are so close in value to US dollars, it seems like I'm spending more than I actually am, which makes me more concious of my spending.

7. Since there are lots of Chinese people here, I can still eavesdrop on conversations in Mandarin. 

8. There are birds & insects & plants growing everywhere.

9. The tap water tastes better than any bottled water I've ever had.

10. It smells like grass.

10 Things to give a traveler

During the holidays, we like to remember our friends & family with cards & gifts. But what do you do when there is a traveler in your life? They might not stay in one place long enough to receive anything you could send through the mail. It might seem hopeless to include them on your holiday card mailing list.

But there is still a way - the internet is a wonderful thing. There are so many digital gifts & e-cards out there. Besides, your traveler probably doesn't need any more stuff. Here are ten things you can give a traveler without weighing down their luggage.

1. Credit at Amazon.com for Kindle e-books, digital music & more
2. Virtual language lessons - a couple of my favorites: ChinesePod, Lo Más TV
3. Online exercise classes - MyYogaOnline.com
4. Netflix membership - the streaming only option
5. A membership at Hostelling International
6. A donation to their favorite charity - I like Kiva.org 
7. Your unused frequent flyer miles
8. A tour in or around their current location
9. A visit - meet them somewhere!
10. A phone call - Skype.com

Wishing you a happy holiday season & a new year filled with adventure.

10 Things I'm going to miss about Shanghai

1. Three-dollar taxi rides
2. Five-course meals for less than five dollars
3. Stuff on sticks
4. Hello Kitty motorbikes
5. Thames Town & the Sightseeing Tunnel
6. Random wedding photo sessions
7. Couples dancing in the park
8. Old men walking the streets at night in their PJs
9. Old ladies walking backwards to keep in shape
10. Speaking Chinese

10 of My Favorite Posts of 2010

Now it's my turn. Here are ten of my favorite posts from this year. I hope you like them as much as I do.

1. Medical Check
2. Me No Speak Chinese
3. It's Hard But Wonderful
4. Mid-Autumn Festival
5. Nostalgia
6. Face
7. Bored Laowai
8. 10 Things Chinese Students Think About Life in the US
9. Giving Thanks
10.Photo of the Week: Dreaming of Christmas

10 Most Popular Posts of 2010

I've had a great time sharing my stories with you this year, & feel honored (& not a little bit amazed) that you have taken the time to read them. I took a look at what you've been reading most & came up with a list of the most popular posts from 2010.

1. Shanghai Rock Climbing Gym
2. Dear Monkey!
3. Women Wandering Solo: Elena Sevastiani
4. Qi Xi Festival: Chinese Valentine's Day
5. One Month Birthday
6. Women Wandering Solo: Linda Redman
7. I See Tall People!
8. 10 Things Chinese Students Think About Life in the US
9. Bored Laowai
10. Split Pants

10 Things Chinese Students Think About Life in the US

1. The cost of living is low.
2. Salaries are high.
3. Taxes are high.
4. Crime rates are high.
5. There's a good welfare system.
6. You can live in a house with a yard & a swimming pool.
7. You don't need to do homework.
8. You can feel free to do what you want.
9. There are lots of stars in Hollywood.
10.There are many different cultures in the US, so it's easy for people to accept each other.

10 Things About China

While my friend Debra was here in China visiting & traveling around, a few things made quite an impression on her. Here's her list of 10 things about China:

1. Squatty potties
2. Spitting
3. Masses of people in the subway - fighting to get off
4. Available bike lanes everywhere in Beijing
5. Dog walking in pajamas
6. Feeling like a star chased by paparazzi - everyone taking our picture
7. Bargaining - it's normal to pay 25% of the asked price
8. Consistently fantastic architecture, even in a normal residential neighborhood
9. Government blocking of Facebook and Twitter
10.Delicious street food (excluding the fried scorpions & crickets on a stick)

10 Things I Miss Eating

1. Avocados
2. Strawberries
3. Brown rice
4. Soy ice cream
5. Chimichangas
6. Oatmeal with blueberries
7. Pancakes from Pita Jungle
8. Ethiopian food at Blue Nile
9. Fritos on road trips
10.My own spicy mango salsa

10 Things I Say (Almost) Every Day in Chinese

1. ni3 hao3 你好 = hello
2. mei3 shi4 ka1 fei1 美式咖啡 = American style coffee
3. re4 de 热的 = hot
4. yi1 dian3 tang2一点儿糖 = a little sugar
5. wu3 jiao3 chang3 五角场 = five angle area
6. zhe4 li3 hao3 de 这里好的 = here’s good
7. fa1 piao4 发票 = receipt
8. xie4 xie4 谢谢 = thank you
9. wo3 e4 si3 le! 我饿死了 = I’m starving!
10.ting1 bu4 dong3 听不懂 = I don’t understand

10 Things I Miss About Vietnam

1. Warm weather
2. Cheap prices
3. Yummy Vietnamese food
4. Ho Chi Minh
5. Hearing everyone yell "Hello!" at me as I pass
6. Riding the train to Saigon
7. Riding my bicycle around town
8. Driving on the left & the right
9. Crossing the street amid hundreds of scooters
10.Antipersperant

10 Things to do in Hong Kong on the Cheap

1. Hong Kong Park - Free
2. Kowloon Park - Free
3. Temple Street Night Market - Free to browse & people watch
4. The Escalators - Free: Ride them up the mountain, then walk down
5. The MTR - Cheap & easy way to get around town
6. Star Ferry - Cheap way to see the harbor
7. Self-guided architecture tour - Free audio recording & map from the Hong Kong Tourism Board
8. Museums - Free on Wednesdays
9. Window shopping
10. Endless noodle shops - Meals for under HK$50

10 Things I Say Every Day in Vietnamese

1. cảm ơn = thank you
2. đẹp = beautiful
3. cà phê đá = iced coffee
4. ống hút = straw
5. em ơi! = hey you!
6. tính tiền = bill/check
7. ba mươi tám = 38
8. người Mỹ = American
9. là gì? = what's that?
10.không hiểu = I don't understand

10 Things Every Vietnamese Knows How to Say in English

1. Hello
2. Bye-bye
3. Ghost
4. Same-same
5. What's your name?
6. Where are you from?
7. How old are you?
8. Are you married?
9. H1N1
10.Tom & Jerry

10 Things I Like to Eat in Vietnam

1. Lotus seed sweet dumplings

2. Fried rice with garlic

3. Tofu & lemongrass

4. Grilled eggplant

5. Dragonfruit

6. Che, sweet pudding

7. Ca phao, a burst of sour juicy yum

8. Spinach & garlic

9. Pumpkin soup I make at home

10. Steamed okra with soy sauce & chili

10 Things I'm Glad I Brought With Me to Vietnam

1. Laptop
2. Camera
3. Headlamp (great for reading in bed!)
4. Backpack
5. Vietnamese dictionary
6. Chinese language study materials
7. Leisure books in English
8. Amor Mío DVDs
9. Emergen-C
10.Tampons (can't find them here)

10 Things I Miss About Arizona (Other Than You)

1. Hiking
2. Camping
3. Rock climbing
4. Yoga classes
5. The local music scene
6. The Spanish Place
7. Cool Chix Coffee
8. Four Peaks Brewery
9. Trader Joe's
10.Whole Foods