Archive for June, 2011
Sanlitun (三里屯) Posted by sasha on Jun 22, 2011
Perhaps the most popular spot for entertainment in all of Beijing, the Sanlitun area is a great place to go for summer fun. By day, you can stroll around The Village shopping center, where you’ll find plenty of stores and restaurants. In the evening, relax with a foot massage and a pedicure before hitting Happy…
The Art of Bargaining (谈判技能) Posted by Stephen on Jun 20, 2011
Bargaining or 谈判 (tán pàn), while not very common-place in western society, is a staple of Chinese shopping. While super markets, malls and mega-shopping stores are becoming more common-place in China, street markets, bazaars, expos and old fashion mom and pop stores are still the places to shop when looking for a discounted price or just…
Summer Activities Posted by sasha on Jun 16, 2011
Here is a video I made last summer that somehow managed to evade the TL YouTube page. This will be the first in a series of videos about China summer fun to come in the following months! Summer time in Beijing is a whole lot of fun. In this video, join me for a daytime…
Stackin’ that Kuai! Posted by sasha on Jun 16, 2011
In China, the official name for currency is RMB (人民币 – rén mín bì), meaning “the people’s currency.” However, in daily dealings it is often referred to as yuan (元 – yuán) or the slang term kuai (块 – kuài), kind of like how we say “bucks” in the US sometimes. While American dollars…
Dunhuang, Gobi Desert (戈壁滩) Posted by Stephen on Jun 10, 2011
The Gobi desert or 戈壁滩 (gēbìtān) is the largest desert in Asia, spanning some 1,600 kilometers across northern China and central Mongolia. Known for its extreme temperatures, blistering winds and historical location along the Silk Road, the Gobi desert is truly a sight to behold. The following photos were taken in and outside of the greater Dunhuang (敦煌) area, including the…
History of the PRC – Part Twenty Posted by sasha on Jun 8, 2011
With the surrender of the Japanese, a full-throttle Civil War once again raged in China. This final stage of the long, seemingly never ending war is known in Maindland China as the War of Liberation. On the side of Mao and the Communists was the Soviet Union under Stalin; on the side of Chiang and…
Learning Chinese with Pinyin Posted by sasha on Jun 6, 2011
For anyone raised on the ABCs and 1-2-3s, learning Chinese can seem to be a daunting task. During my first few weeks in Beijing, I would often stare in disbelief at newspapers, menus, and street signs while thinking to myself, “How am I ever going to understand this language?” Luckily for me, and other equally…