Archive for December, 2014
Top 10 of 2014 Posted by sasha on Dec 30, 2014
2014 is just about in the books, and you know what that means – time for our Top 10 of the year! 10. Tricky Chinese Tones For new learners of Chinese – especially Westerners not used to tonal languages – the tones are confusing and frustrating. There’s more to the four tones of Chinese than…
My Year in Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 29, 2014
It’s been a great year, but it’s time to bid farewell to 2014 and say hello to 2015. At the end of the year, it’s always nice to reflect back and do some thinking. Here’s a little story about my year in Chinese to help you with your reading. Scroll down for pinyin and English versions…
Santa in China Posted by sasha on Dec 25, 2014
See what happens when Santa’s sleigh crash lands in China and he tries to make his way back to the North Pole. From eating pig feet, to having street-side massages, to getting drunk in random bars, Santa spreads holiday cheer all across the Middle Kingdom.
How to Sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 23, 2014
It’s that time of year again, when “Jingle Bells” is playing non-stop, shopping malls have decked their halls, and “Christmas Old Man” (圣诞老人 – shèng dàn lǎo rén) can be seen all across the Middle Kingdom. Although most people in China don’t celebrate Christmas in the religious sense of the word, they sure love the…
Gift Giving in China Posted by sasha on Dec 19, 2014
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions by my students about the culture of giving gifts when it comes to Christmas: “Who do you give gifts to?” “Which gifts are the most common in your family?” “How much should you spend on a gift?” This got me thinking about the differences…
Guangzhou Video Tour Posted by sasha on Dec 16, 2014
We’re continuing our exploration of China’s third largest city, Guangzhou, with a short video tour. Munch on dim sum, stroll around a European island in the city, get cultured in an ancient Chinese academy, check out the modern side of Guangzhou, and wind down with Chinese food and craft beer. 广州 – guǎng zhōu Guangzhou…
A Day in Guangzhou Posted by sasha on Dec 12, 2014
On our recent trip from Hong Kong to Kunming overland, we had to include an overnight stay in Guangzhou (广州 – guǎng zhōu) for transportation reasons. Having previously only seen Guangzhou from the window of a train and having heard from a friend who spent some time living there that it’s “the place dreams go…