A Day in Guangzhou Posted by sasha on Dec 12, 2014
On our recent trip from Hong Kong to Kunming overland, we had to include an overnight stay in Guangzhou (广州 – guǎng zhōu) for transportation reasons. Having previously only seen Guangzhou from the window of a train and having heard from a friend who spent some time living there that it’s “the place dreams go…
The Chinese Character for “Person” Posted by sasha on Dec 10, 2014
One of the first, easiest, and most important characters you’ll learn in Chinese is the one for person (人 – rén). Back in the day, this character was actually a pictograph depicting a man. As you can see, it has been abbreviated over time. Check out this short video to learn how to properly write this character…
A Chinese Dating Game Show Posted by sasha on Dec 5, 2014
We’ve recently talked about dating game shows in China and how they’ve become super popular in the past few years. While big money studio shows like “If You Are the One” dominate the airwaves, we decided to throw our own version of a dating game show in Kunming. There were some awkward moments, hilarious questions…
What Happens When You Literally Translate Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 2, 2014
For learners of Chinese, it’s always fun to literally translate new Chinese words. Often times, you’ll find that you recognize two characters on their own, but you haven’t yet learned the word that is formed when you put them together. In my experience, my Chinese students and friends can never understand why foreigners think it’s…
Chinese Dumplings Recipe Posted by sasha on Nov 28, 2014
While Americans are feasting on turkey (火鸡 – huǒ jī) this weekend, you won’t find a “fire chicken” on Chinese tables for any holidays. One of the most popular dishes to make for the Chinese Spring Festival is dumplings (饺子 – jiǎo zi), especially in the northern part of the country. My love for dumplings…
Great Ways to Learn Chinese – YouTube Posted by sasha on Nov 24, 2014
Over the past few months, I’ve been sharing some tips on great ways to learn Chinese on the ‘net. Here are the previous posts in case you missed them: BBC Real Chinese: This great series from the BBC teaches you some basic Chinese and also a lot about the culture. FluentU: Learn Chinese from real…
One Day in Shenzhen (深圳的一天) Posted by sasha on Nov 21, 2014
Shenzhen has grown from a cluster of fishing and farming villages to one of the biggest, busiest, and most important cities in China. See what you can do in this bustling metropolis with just one day. Wander around Shekou and get some tasty food, hit a massive market, check out the Splendid China theme park…