Archive for May, 2014
Easy Chinese – 20 Marine Animal Vocabulary Words Posted by sasha on May 31, 2014
We’re finishing up the month the same way we started it, with an easy post that gives you a bunch of vocabulary words to study. Last time, it was land animals, and as promised, this time we’re heading under the sea. Save this picture and use it to learn 20 Chinese words for marine animals…
Dig Into Some Tasty Chinglish Posted by sasha on May 30, 2014
It’s no secret – we love Chinglish here. Whenever studying Chinese gets you down or people laugh at you for butchering your tones or your feeble attempts at writing characters, just take a look at some good ole’ Chinglish and remind yourself that everyone has a rough time with new languages. Some of the funniest…
A Guide to the Internet in China – Social Media Posted by sasha on May 27, 2014
Social media is a force to be reckoned with in the 21st century, and nowhere is this more true than in China. Sure, Facebook and Twitter are blocked by the Great Firewall of China, but this doesn’t mean that Chinese people don’t use social media – far from it. China ended the year 2013 with…
A Hilarious Chinglish Video Posted by sasha on May 24, 2014
Have you ever stumbled upon signs posted in China that are full of wonderful, hilarious Chinglish? I know I have. In fact, after over four years of calling the Middle Kingdom home, I’ve amassed quite the collection of epic Chinglish pictures. Don’t watch this video in the office, because you won’t be able to control…
A Guide to the Internet in China – Censorship Posted by sasha on May 20, 2014
For foreigners visiting or living in China, the internet can be a frustrating and confusing place. Popular websites in the West are blocked in the Middle Kingdom – no Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube allowed. The “Golden Shield Project” (金盾工程 -jīn dùn gōng chéng) is an internet surveillance and censorship program ran by the government’s Ministry…
A Chinese Dumpling Party Posted by sasha on May 15, 2014
Recently, I wrote a love letter to Chinese dumplings. Thinking of my beloved little pockets of deliciousness, I went back through some old footage and found something that touched my heart – a dumpling party. In Sichuan’s provincial capital of Chengdu, a great place to stay is the Lazy Bones hostel. If you’re lucky, you…
A Guide to the Internet in China – Intro Posted by sasha on May 13, 2014
Back in 1987, China sent out its first e-mail, an exchange between scientists in Beijing and Germany: “Across the Great Wall, we can reach every corner of the world.” 越过长城，走向世界 – yuè guò cháng chéng, zǒu xiàng shì jiè A few years later, in 1994, China was officially online. On April 20th, some nerds from China’s…