Archive for 'Culture'
Poor Man’s Chinese Posted by sasha on Jul 6, 2010
大家好, My name is Sasha, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the newest member of the Transparent Chinese team. First, I’d like to thank Jeremy and Steve for giving me this opportunity to share my Chinese experiences with the world. Every month, I’ll be writing on the blog here, as well as posting original…
Career Exams Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 14, 2010
Numerous 毕业生 (bi4ye4sheng1 – graduates) in China are faced with 就业焦虑 (jiu4ye4 jiao1lv4 – stress about starting [their] careers), and are desperately seeking a 切入点 (qie4ru4dian3 – entry point) into their desired industry. Save for those who choose to 读研 (du2yan2 – attend graduate school), one eventually has to become part of the 上班族 (shang4ban1zu2…
Going to a Concert Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 13, 2010
The other day I attended a concert where the band 五月天 (wu3yue4tian1 – Mayday) was playing. They’re a group from 台湾 (tai2wan1 – Taiwan) who has been playing their form of 摇滚乐 (yao2gun3yue4 – rock music) for over a decade. They make it very clear that they draw a lot of inspiration from the 披头四 …
An Art Show Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 11, 2010
The other day I went to an art show in Hong Kong sponsored by 德意志银行 (de2yi4zhi4 yin2hang2 – Deutsche Bank), held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Works from 世界各地 (shi4jie4ge4di4 – all over the world) were on display. Some of the more recognizable works on display included the exaggerated smiling faces made…
Talking about Income Inequality Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 8, 2010
The income gap in China is a topic of frequent discussion, and below are some relevant terms that can help you understand news reports as well as participate in discussions of your own. Numerous reports of the Foxconn employees leaving their 宿舍 (su4she4 – dormitories) to 跳楼 (tiao4lou2 – jump [from a] building) has raised…
North-South Variations Posted by Transparent Language on May 25, 2010
After moving from Beijing to Shenzhen last year, I noticed numerous differences between the spoken Mandarin that I was accustomed to up north and the Mandarin spoken in this new city full of 外地人 (wai4di4ren2 – out-of-towners) from all over China. As Shenzhen is located in Guangdong province and next to Hong Kong and Macau…
The Shanghai Expo (中国2010年上海世界博览会): “Shanghai’s Moment in the Sun” Posted by Stephen on May 3, 2010
As the dazzling displays of fireworks, interpretive performances and welling nationalist pride of the 2008 Beijing Olympics fade from international memory, another pro-China, six-month event (the largest and most expensive of it’s kind) has just begun this weekend in Shanghai, China (上海 Shàng hǎi). The Shanghai World Expo or 中国2010年上海世界博览会 (Zhōngguó Èrlíngyīlíng Nián Shànghǎi Shìjìe…