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Working on Tones with Tongue Twisters Posted by Stephen on Oct 18, 2010
Many non-native Chinese speakers find that proper pronunciation and use of tones are the most difficult aspects of learning the language and gaining fluency. This is because there are a plethora of sounds that don’t exist in both English and Chinese, meaning you have to train your tongue for the verbal somersaults. Whether it is making…
Everything But the Table, Chinese Beer (啤酒) Posted by Stephen on Oct 14, 2010
I am often asked “what is my favorite/least favorite part about China,” and usually respond to both questions with one word: beer or 啤酒 (pí jiǔ). This often brings a look of confusion to the questioner’s face, but it’s quite telling of “beer culture” in China. How can you both love and hate Chinese beer? It’s simple. You…
Some slang (俚语) Posted by Stephen on Sep 16, 2010
As important it is to learn proper grammar, speech patters and writing styles in Chinese, lets face facts, that’s just not how people normally talk. Start a conversation with a cabbie and see how far proper sentence construction and tone pronunciation gets you. Or tell someone you like to “eat tofu” and get yourself laughed…
Everything But the Table: Silk Road Cuisine (丝路饭-西安), Xi’an Posted by Stephen on Aug 29, 2010
After braving the mountains, plains and deserts of Xinjiang and Gansu province, we find ourselves in relatively modernized Shanxi province 山西 (shān xī) where Han Chinese culture dominates. This is the land of dumplings, where pork is king. Casting aside our staples of lamb, yak and naan bread, we’re now in the “real” China, which…
The Silk Road, Pt. 2: Kashgar Gallery (喀什画廊) Posted by Stephen on Aug 10, 2010
Check out my gallery of Kashgar photos taken along the Silk Road below:
The Silk Road, Pt. 1: Introduction Posted by Stephen on Aug 5, 2010
The Chinese word for China (中国 ) literally is translated as “middle country”, or more accurately “center land”–and justifiably so. The China of old was at the center of all trade, commerce, invention and advancement, rivaling the Greek, Roman and Ottoman Empires. Whatever China had, be it fine silks, porcelain, printed books, calendars, silver or…
A Series of Tubes: The Subway (地铁) Posted by Stephen on Jul 30, 2010
The phrase “rush hour” doesn’t really apply to China, because at almost every hour of the day you’ll find yourself rushed, crowded pushed, and ultimately locked in a struggle to get from point A to point B. However, if you are unfortunate enough to have to commute during morning and evening peak commuter hours in…