100 Most Common Chinese Characters Posted by sasha on Nov 7, 2013
As most of you may know, Chinese is a language of characters (汉字 – hàn zì). In total, there are tens of thousands of different characters. Don’t let that intimidate you, though – if you know a few thousand, you’ll be just fine. It’s important to remember, however, that most words in Chinese are made…
Hiking in a Small Village Posted by sasha on Nov 5, 2013
Living in a massive metropolis like Beijing, sometimes one feels trapped inside the concrete jungle. Car horns blaze constantly, crowds of people follow you everywhere you go, and more often than not it seems as if you can chew the air. Thankfully, opportunities for great day trips abound in the Chinese capital. Hop on a…
Beijing Zombie Apocalypse Posted by sasha on Oct 31, 2013
What happens when a bunch of zombies walk through the hutongs and ride the subway in Beijing? Find out here! 万圣节 – wàn shèng jié Halloween 服装 – fú zhuāng costume 中国小孩子 – zhōng guó xiǎo hái zi Chinese children 安全 – Ān quán safety 僵尸 – jiāng shī zombie 我想吃脑子 – wǒ xiǎng chī…
Culture Shock in China – Bathrooms Posted by sasha on Oct 30, 2013
We’ve already discussed culture shock in China a bit on here in the last few months. In case you didn’t catch those posts, here’s a quick recap: Part One – Food/Eating Habits: In the first post, I share some details about the culture shock I encountered with Chinese food and just eating in China in…
Top 10 Places in Beijing – Beihai/Houhai Posted by sasha on Oct 24, 2013
Our countdown of the Top 10 places in Beijing continues as we get closer and closer to #1. So far, we’ve explored the student haunt of the Wu, gotten artsy in 798, channeled our inner Chipster (Chinese hipster) in Gulou, and practiced tai chi in the local parks. Our next stop is all about the…
Labor Day in Dalian Posted by sasha on Oct 22, 2013
Our short video series about Dalian – a coastal city in northeast China – continues with a tour around some of the city’s many squares, a trip to the beach, and a stop in an art gallery housed in an old Russian building. 劳动节 – láo dòng jié Labor Day 五一 – wǔ yī 5/1…
Better Know an… Autonomous Region (Guangxi) Posted by sasha on Oct 15, 2013
Our long, strange trip around the Middle Kingdom continues, as we visit all of the provinces, municipalities, SARs, and autonomous regions that make up this massive country. Last time, we reviewed all of our progress so far and explored the fascinating land of Inner Mongolia. Today, we’re heading back down south to check out Guangxi…