Longji Rice Terraces (龙脊梯田) Posted by sasha on May 14, 2015
A few hours by bus from Guilin (桂林 – guì lín), you’ll find one of the most scenic areas in all of China – the Longji Rice Terraces (龙脊梯田 – lóng jí tī tián). With a name meaning “Dragon’s Backbone,” the layered rice paddies are said to resemble a dragon’s scales when they are full of…
Mother’s Day in China Posted by sasha on May 10, 2015
Today is Mother’s Day (母亲节 – mǔ qīn jié), a day to celebrate all of the wonderful moms of the world. According to the People’s Daily, “despite originating in the United States, people in China accept the holiday without hesitation because it is in line with the country’s traditional ethics – respect for the elderly…
Escaping the Holiday Crowd in China Posted by sasha on May 6, 2015
It’s no secret that traveling during major Chinese holidays can be rough – millions of people move around the country at once, with seemingly never-ending traffic jams, long lines everywhere you go, and the phenomenon that is best described with the Chinglish idiom “people mountain people sea” (人山人海 – rén shān rén hǎi). While things…
What’s it Really Like Working in China? Posted by sasha on May 4, 2015
In the last post, we looked at the workforce in China – past, present, and future. Since the late 1970s, China has been undergoing one of the greatest transformations in the history of the world, going from a predominantly rural, agricultural, state-owned economy to a more urban, privatized economy focused on manufacturing and infrastructure. Thanks…
China’s Workforce – Past, Present, and Future Posted by sasha on May 1, 2015
In many countries around the world – including China – May 1st is celebrated as Labor Day (劳动节 – láo dòng jié). The date was chosen to commemorate the Haymarket affair which occurred in Chicago on May 4th, 1886. What started out as a peaceful rally pushing for an 8-hour work day ended in tragedy…
More Chinese Kitchen Vocabulary Posted by sasha on Apr 30, 2015
The last post covered some basics about Chinese kitchens, including how tiny they are and vocabulary for your various appliances. Well, there’s still a lot more to talk about in the kitchen. Shopping for your kitchen can be a royal pain if you don’t know the Chinese words, so here’s some more useful kitchen vocab…
In the (Chinese) Kitchen Posted by sasha on Apr 28, 2015
I love to cook, and one of the things I miss most about home is being able to walk into the local grocery store, understand everything on the shelves, and then cook up a tasty meal in the kitchen. As is the case with many aspects of daily life here, things are just not so…