The Oyster Pail

'The Oyster Pail' is an expatriate's take on Shanghai life. Expect candid dialogue and sincere reflection, set to the backdrop of this unique city.

Opinion

Rebuilding: eight life lessons 2022 taught me

I’ve got bad news: We all get damaged. You have a 100 percent chance of being broken ... And through it all, you’ll need to do some rebuilding.

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Opinion

No but really, should we contact aliens?

When we can’t settle on anything from abortion rights, climate change and gun laws to gender, God and Sam Smith’s Brit 2023 outfit, are we mature enough to talk to aliens?

2023-02-24 15:25 0

Opinion

Show us your Shanghai Tootsie Shot

To Tootsie is to tell yourself you're the star of your own show. You are strong enough to carry your story and deserving of your own success.

2023-02-10 16:11 0

Opinion

Dear Santa, a(nother) word about your performance

I've given up on the idea of well-mannered dogs or socks with sex appeal. But home is something I cannot let go of. Because home is central to the human experience.

2022-12-23 16:00 0

Opinion

Atheism 2.0: blessing 2023 with new faith

The guidance and rules look comforting at a distance. But there's another way that doesn't cast non-believers into a spiritual wasteland between Starbucks and Tabao.

2022-12-17 12:35 0

Opinion

Words kill: the dangerous language of gender-based violence

Gender-based violence isn't just violence. It's directed and purposeful, with roots deep in society that maintain inequality.

2022-12-10 15:46 0

Opinion

Camping in the gray zone: a case against black and white mentality

Take any significant part of life and paint it a color. It's gray. It's gray because anything meaningful is complicated, and any other shade will paint a different picture.

2022-11-26 09:57 0

Opinion

What do you weigh? How (and why) I lost a stone in Huangshan

We're all packing something we don't want or need. Whatever the thing is, there's no good or growth. It's a load on our back and a pressure around our hearts.

2022-11-18 17:55 0

Opinion

Not a travel diary: Shanghai's mangled columnist goes home

I'm leaving Shanghai. Not for good, just for a bit, and I want you to come with me. Why? Because I'm not the only human to ever get mangled.

2022-11-11 14:37 0

Opinion

Dear Santa: a word about your performance

Santa, I need to go home. Not forever, god no! Just for a bit.

2021-12-24 20:42 0

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The Oyster Pail

Rebuilding: eight life lessons 2022 taught me

No but really, should we contact aliens?

Show us your Shanghai Tootsie Shot

Dear Santa, a(nother) word about your performance

Atheism 2.0: blessing 2023 with new faith

Words kill: the dangerous language of gender-based violence

Camping in the gray zone: a case against black and white mentality

What do you weigh? How (and why) I lost a stone in Huangshan

Not a travel diary: Shanghai's mangled columnist goes home

Dear Santa: a word about your performance

COVID-19

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The Oyster Pail

Rebuilding: eight life lessons 2022 taught me

No but really, should we contact aliens?

Show us your Shanghai Tootsie Shot

Dear Santa, a(nother) word about your performance

Atheism 2.0: blessing 2023 with new faith

Words kill: the dangerous language of gender-based violence

Camping in the gray zone: a case against black and white mentality

What do you weigh? How (and why) I lost a stone in Huangshan

Not a travel diary: Shanghai's mangled columnist goes home

Dear Santa: a word about your performance

Follow Us

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