Archive for 'Culture'
Temple Hopping in Beijing (雍和宮, 孔庙) Posted by sasha on Aug 19, 2010
Before I get to my latest video post, I wanted to make a comment about how I’ve been introducing vocabulary in my posts. As I’m sure some of you have noticed, I recently changed the way I do this. From now on, I will highlight an English word, phrase, or sentence in bold, and then…
Music Festivals in China (中国音乐节) Posted by sasha on Aug 11, 2010
Back home in 美国, one of my favorite things to do every summer is going to a music festival (音乐节 – yīn yuè jié) with a group of friends. In fact, between 2003 and 2009, I attended over 30 such events, from Camp Bisco in upstate New York, to Langerado in southern Florida, to Bonnaroo…
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:
It’s So Stupendous, Riding the Beijing Tube Posted by sasha on Aug 9, 2010
To go along with Steve’s post about riding the 地铁, I put together a short video showing the madness of rush hour on the subway in Beijing. I’m doing my best to provide subtitles that are readable in the video, but it can be difficult at times, for example when I give you a whole…
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…
北京的雨天 (A Rainy Day in Beijing) Posted by sasha on Jul 15, 2010
Alright faithful Transparent Chinese readers/viewers, the time has finally come… my first video post has arrived! Despite the weather here raining on my parade and my ideas for outdoor related videos, I still managed to put together something that I think is interesting and helpful for Chinese learners. To supplement your viewing, I typed up…
Step 1: Land in China, Step 2: Learn Pin Yin, Step 3: Profit Posted by sasha on Jul 9, 2010
For anyone raised on the ABCs and 1-2-3s, learning Chinese can seem to be a daunting task. During my first few weeks in Beijing, I would often stare in disbelief at newspapers, menus, and street signs while thinking to myself, “How am I ever going to understand this language?” Luckily for me, and other equally…