Category: Interviews
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Tell Me All About Your Bookshelves (Past and Present)
Ten years ago, approximately, I left Istanbul, and along with a city that I loved/loathed, I also left behind a lot of books. By this, I want to absolutely emphasize that this was a heartbreakingly vast quantity of books that had slowly but steadily grown in number over my six years in Turkey, and…
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Amber Roshay Moved Back to the US and Wrote About it (And Also Wrote a Book That We’re Giving Away Here)
Some of you might remember the lovely Amber Roshay from her interview last year. She was the one whose students had prepared an awesome and very emotional surprise party for her. She’s also a very good friend of mine- one who happened to leave Shanghai and move back home to the US at the beginning of this…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #17: Edna Zhou
You know what I haven’t done in yonks? Interviewed someone, that’s what. I’m not sure why I re-start the series when I do. It keeps popping up again at odd intervals. I think it may be due to a peculiar combination of my own writer’s block and an annoyance (or impatience) with what I’ve created…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #16: Camden Luxford of The Brink of Something Else
Welcome to the 16th thoroughly impractical expat interview with Camden Luxford of The Brink of Something Else! But first, let’s talk about me. After barely a week back in Shanghai, my body has already readjusted to the intuitive requirements of living in this city. When I walk on the sidewalk, I automatically look 360 degrees around…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #15: Miranda Ward of A Literal Girl
This one has been a long time coming. Today I bring you the lovely and talented Miranda Ward of A Literal Girl. Poor Miranda’s interview and photo folder lay dormant while I was off galavanting in the wilds of Sri Lanka last month, neglecting most of my (perceived and actual) internet responsibilities. It’s awkward to…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #14: Amber Roshay- Teacher, Writer, Traveller
Welcome to the 14th edition of the expat interview series. This one is slightly different from its predecessors in that it comes from a woman who is actually a friend of mine here in Shanghai. Yes, Virginia, I actually do also exist in the physical world. I am not composed solely of ether and urls,…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #13: Kate Bailward of Driving Like a Maniac
Welcome to the lucky 13th edition of the Totally Impractical Expat Interview series (hello baker’s dozen!). Today we have Gerald the Bear’s favourite expat, the lovely Kate Bailward of Driving Like a Maniac, a.k.a @katja_dlam. One of the unexpected by-products of this series has been the constant shock of recognition I’ve felt when reading people’s…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #12: Mohana Rajakumar of A Day in Doha
Welcome to the twelfth edition of my expat interview series. I’m delighted to see how well it has been chugging along, picking up speed and steam and passengers along the way. This instalment brings us to the tiny finger-tip nation of Qatar. I passed through there a few times when I commuted between Dubai and…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #11: Liv From I Eat My Pigeon
Welcome to the eleventh instalment in my infinite expat interview series. I really hadn’t expected it to last this long (I didn’t think anyone would respond, to be honest) but it seems to have taken on a life of its own, slowly taking over this blog, my email inbox and a significant part of my thought…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #10: Marie Szamborski of Shantiwallah
Welcome to the esteemed tenth expat interview in my series of a bazillion. After a brief hiatus from interviews with human expats last week (hello Hector Lakemonster!) I’d like to introduce you to someone who has been with me (and this blog) since it was born a year ago today. Marie Szamborski is better known…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #9: Hector Lakemonster
Welcome to the 9th interview in the series. It’s been an interesting ride so far, and a good excuse for me to step back and let others take over for a while. My thought processes had been cloudy and dark for quite a while, stupidly mirroring Shanghai’s grey skies. Winter is passing though, and we’ve…
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A Totally Impractical Expat Interview #8: Heather of 2Summers
Welcome to the 8th instalment in my expat interview series. Today you will meet the lovely and interesting Heather, who is in Jo’burg, South Africa. It has been an interesting ride so far, both for myself and for the interviewees and casual bystanders, it seems. I’ve received a lot of feedback for this little impromptu…