Eastern Promises

Taishan knows you can have your cake and eat it too.(Source: LIFE Archives)

While unemployment reaches for the skies in the U.S., some of America’s best and brightest are packing up their bags and moving overseas.

So what’s the hot new destination on the rise? For the young and the motivated, it’s China. Young women like Sarabeth Berman, for example, have seized the opportunity for career advancement. As program director at BeijingDance/LDTX, Berman believes she is working in a capacity that would not be possible back home. “There is no doubt that China is an awesome place to jump-start your career. Back in the U.S., I would be intern No. 3 at some company or selling tickets at Lincoln Center.” she says.

As someone who’s straddled different cultures across a timeline of some 30+ years, this is a most auspicious development. There’s so much to gain from living in a different culture, learning a new language, and gaining perspective. China is a choice destination for many Americans because it’s not just a rising economic superpower run by Armani suit-clad bureaucrats. In the sophisticated metropolis of Beijing and Shanghai, it’s also an exciting center of art, culture, and food.

Here are some delicious blogs, run by expat women, that give you a taste of life in a destination that may be on your roadmap.

Shanghaiist: A hip, comprehensive blog on current and cultural events in China’s most cosmopolitan city.
Beijing Notebook: A former Beijing expat still keeps in touch with designs and trends in China’s capital. This blog’s got some serious eye candy.
Food and Drink Chengdu: Foodies be warned, this blog will have you coming back for seconds.
Sinopop: A sophisticated blog in touch with China’s artistic soul.
Johnsons in China: Mommy blogger “Taitai Johnson” has the insider’s scoop on raising an American family in Beijing. Lovely blog about a happy family doing things their way.