Archive for August, 2011
Days, Weeks, and Months (Video) Posted by sasha on Aug 12, 2011
Learn the vocabulary necessary to talk about days, weeks, and months in Chinese with this short, easy to follow video.
Useful Travel Phrases Posted by sasha on Aug 11, 2011
Having just returned to Beijing after a month and a half back in the States, with a friend who is here in China for his first time and speaks no Chinese, I figured a post with some useful travel phrases would be a good idea. If you are a total China n00b like my friend…
Everything but the Table: Fast Food (快餐） Posted by Stephen on Aug 10, 2011
To say that city-life in China is busy would be a huge understatement. Nothing ever seems to close, cars never seem to leave the streets and crowds only thin out when inclimate weather rears its ugly head. Cities are crowded concrete jungles filled brimming with people. Yet the hustle-bustle of Chinese metropolises stands as a testament to the vast…
Proverbs: Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other (諺語) Posted by Stephen on Aug 7, 2011
Proverbs or 諺語 (yànyŭ) provide invaluable insight into understanding both a language and a culture. They are a window into the very history and nature of language. Our euphemisms, insults, lessons and catch-phrases are all part of the immense dialogues that have progressed and lasted for decades, centuries, (and in Chinese’s case) millennium. Count the number…
Chinese Valentine’s Day – Qi Xi Festival (七夕节) Posted by sasha on Aug 4, 2011
In China, the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar is known as the Qi Xi Festival (七夕节 – qī xì jié). This ancient Chinese festival goes by many names, including: the Night of Sevens, the Magpie Festival, and in the more modern sense of the word, Chinese Valentine’s Day (情人节 –…
Beijing Day Trips – Volume 1 – Shang Fang Shan (上方山) Posted by sasha on Aug 3, 2011
When you live in the concrete jungle (AKA Beijing), it’s absolutely necessary to get out once in a while for a good day trip (一日游 – yī rì yóu). Luckily, for us Beijingers (北京人 – běi jīng rén), the options for easy, fun trips out of the city are abundant. As an avid hiker/adventurer, I…