Life in the West Archives

Too Stressed for the Land of ‘Zen’: How China Taught Me to Be Chill

China is Zen. The aspect was the most striking when I arrived. Chinese people are calm. They go with the

Before my boyfriend and I got together as a couple, I never knew what it felt like to have family

In recent years, Asian dramas have enjoyed a surge in popularity among people in the West. But do Asian dramas

Here in Turkey, where I live, we are currently subject to weeknight curfews and weekend lockdowns. They began at the

I didn’t believe in reverse culture shock until I experienced it for myself. Everyone knows about culture shock — that

It has been more than two months since I arrived back to the US. Some days it feels like I’ve

Experiencing Pregnancy in Two Cultures Having your first baby is a paradigm shift for any couple. A mixture of excitement

Sometimes leaving is harder than arriving. Though often temporary, you build your life in a new city. New apartment, new

Nature has never been of an utmost importance in my life. Being outdoors lacks appeal to me; could be due

Years ago, when I went to have my fortune read at the Shihlin Night Market in Taipei, the fortune-teller gave