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Even More Tongue Twisters (绕口令) Posted by Stephen on Jun 29, 2012
Now that we’ve gone over some basic tongue twisters or 绕口令 (rào kǒu lìng) I thought this would be a good time to step up the level of difficulty and provide even more challenging tongue twisters. These ones will give you quite a workout, so if your tongue isn’t tired yet it should be after reading (and practicing)…
More Tongue Twisters Posted by Stephen on Jun 28, 2012
Now that we’ve covered some basic tongue twisters, it’s time to ramp up the level of difficulty. Try saying these tongue twisters five times fast. See if you can get as good as Jackie Chan: 青青山上一根籐 青籐地下掛銅鈴 風吹籐動銅鈴動 風停籐停銅鈴停 qīng qīng shān shàng yī gēn téng qīng téng dǐ xià guà tóng líng fēng chuī…
The Curious Case of Bo Xilai Posted by Stephen on Jun 11, 2012
Want a story with political scandal, murder, and corruption? Something that goes to the top of Chinese government and implicates a myriad of high ranking officials? I present to you, the Curious Case of BoXilai, which just keeps getting more and more interesting as details start to emerge. For those unfamiliar, Bo XiLai is a…
Dumplings (饺子） Posted by Stephen on May 30, 2012
A fellow 老外 studying abroad with me in China once said that “A man can live off of dumplings and beer alone, and it ain’t a bad existence”. True words probably haven’t ever been spoken. For a mere 十快 (shí kuài)-that’s a little under two us dollars- you get everything you need. The holy trifecta…
The Summer Palace (颐和园) Posted by Stephen on May 24, 2012
Summer approaches, and with it blows the stifling heat of the western desert winds. In Beijing, temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit daily, which coupled with humidity and miles upon miles of blacktop and concrete, gives you a pretty good idea what a steamed bun, or 包子 (bāo zi) feels like. Luckily, there are a few…
Eating Bitterness at Shaolin (吃苦) Posted by Stephen on May 20, 2012
Many people have asked about my experience studying kungfu at Shaolin first hand (体验生活－tǐ yàn shēng huó), so here’s a in-depth look at what the Shaolin hustle is all about. While prior to my stay, I had very little experience in Shaolin kung-fu styles and methods of training and was quickly thrown into a sink…
Letting it All Hang Out: Bang Ye or 膀爷 (Exposed Stomachs) Posted by Stephen on May 17, 2012
Everyone has their own way of coping with the heat. For most, it involves fleeing to the comfort of air conditioning and electric fans indoors. But what happens when you’re stuck outside in the stifling heat? Most parts of China are in the upper 90s during the July and August months, with debilitating humidity that…