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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…
The Chinese Character for “Person” Posted by sasha on Dec 10, 2014
One of the first, easiest, and most important characters you’ll learn in Chinese is the one for person (人 – rén). Back in the day, this character was actually a pictograph depicting a man. As you can see, it has been abbreviated over time. Check out this short video to learn how to properly write this character…
A Chinese Dating Game Show Posted by sasha on Dec 5, 2014
We’ve recently talked about dating game shows in China and how they’ve become super popular in the past few years. While big money studio shows like “If You Are the One” dominate the airwaves, we decided to throw our own version of a dating game show in Kunming. There were some awkward moments, hilarious questions…
What Happens When You Literally Translate Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 2, 2014
For learners of Chinese, it’s always fun to literally translate new Chinese words. Often times, you’ll find that you recognize two characters on their own, but you haven’t yet learned the word that is formed when you put them together. In my experience, my Chinese students and friends can never understand why foreigners think it’s…