Border Delay Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 23, 2010
Yesterday I was crossing back into Shenzhen from Hong Kong when something out of the ordinary happened. The immigration officer at the desk felt strongly that the photo on my 护照 (passport) did not 像 (look like) the person standing in front of her. She consulted with the officer sitting adjacent to her, and then…
Shanzhai Phones Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 20, 2010
When I told a friend of mine that an overwhelming amount of of the world’s 山寨 (bandit, or knockoff- see below) phones were manufactured within a 半径 (radius) of 2 miles from my apartment, he 怀疑 (suspected) that there was no way it could be true. Just yesterday, I sent him an article from the…
Chinese Tourism During Chinese New Year Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 16, 2010
I am currently writing from Laos, where yesterday I saw a large group of Chinese tourists busy on 春游 (spring travel). Several 房车 (RVs) were on the streets in Luang Prabang, not unlike some American tourists on tour. The tourists’ cars (they drove) 要么 (either) were from 云南 (Yunnan)，要么 (either, see below) were from 重庆…
Happy New Year! Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 13, 2010
Greetings from 老挝 (Laos) and 新年快乐 (Happy New Year) to everyone! This year is 虎年 (the year of the TIger), which marks the end of my own 本命年 (one’s own birth year), said to be the unluckiest/hardest year for people born in that year. For those of you born in the Year of the Tiger…
Angkor Wat Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 30, 2010
Today I went and saw 吴哥窟 (Angkor Wat), a temple outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. It dates back to the 12th century, and numerous national governments have 赞助 (donated money to/supported) the 维护 (protection/maintenance) of the deteriorating walls. It is indeed a 国宝 (national treasure) for Cambodia, and truly 具有代表性 (possess representative characteristics) for the country. Entering Angkor Wat…
Cambodia Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 29, 2010
The next stop in my travels has been 柬埔寨 (Cambodia). I sat with my traveling buddies on a bus and watched as alternating landscapes with and without 电线 (power lines) rolled by. Like in Vietnam, there is no shortage of 三轮摩托车 (Tuk-Tuks 3-wheeled motorcycles). The landscape we saw outside the window on our way to…
Learning to Cook Posted by Transparent Language on Jan 26, 2010
The other day I saw a vendor selling 鱼翅 (sharkfin) at exorbitant prices at a market in Saigon. My friend and I decided that although we couldn’t afford shark fin, we should still learn a little about Vietnamese 烹饪 (cuisine). We took a cooking class, and it became clear as soon as I made my…