Shanghai, CHINA That’s ‘Hi Baby!’ in Chinese. In China, it's usual and accepted that most families, local and foreign, employ Chinese women to manage the household. The 'Ayi' (Auntie) will clean, do laundry, wash dishes, shop for food, care for children, pay bills, and whatever else needs to be done, all for a very reasonable (ridiculously... Continue Reading →
Istanbul, TURKEY We’d not been too long in Istanbul, Turkey when I needed birth control. Off to the eczane ("edge-sana," or pharmacy) I went. Inside the thankfully empty shop, attached to a shopping mall, there was a female pharmacist. This would be pretty painless. Like a sightless person may discover an increased dependence on the... Continue Reading →
As any woman knows, a sustained savage and searing itch in one’s female regions is – best case scenario -- a yeast infection. While common and generally considered a minor inconvenience by most of my peers, it’s not something I discuss openly. Especially with strangers. And never in Turkish. But this is what I had to do. And fast.
The Overhead Bin 