A Hilarious Chinglish Video Posted by sasha on May 24, 2014
Have you ever stumbled upon signs posted in China that are full of wonderful, hilarious Chinglish? I know I have. In fact, after over four years of calling the Middle Kingdom home, I’ve amassed quite the collection of epic Chinglish pictures. Don’t watch this video in the office, because you won’t be able to control…
A Guide to the Internet in China – Censorship Posted by sasha on May 20, 2014
For foreigners visiting or living in China, the internet can be a frustrating and confusing place. Popular websites in the West are blocked in the Middle Kingdom – no Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube allowed. The “Golden Shield Project” (金盾工程 -jīn dùn gōng chéng) is an internet surveillance and censorship program ran by the government’s Ministry…
A Chinese Dumpling Party Posted by sasha on May 15, 2014
Recently, I wrote a love letter to Chinese dumplings. Thinking of my beloved little pockets of deliciousness, I went back through some old footage and found something that touched my heart – a dumpling party. In Sichuan’s provincial capital of Chengdu, a great place to stay is the Lazy Bones hostel. If you’re lucky, you…
A Guide to the Internet in China – Intro Posted by sasha on May 13, 2014
Back in 1987, China sent out its first e-mail, an exchange between scientists in Beijing and Germany: “Across the Great Wall, we can reach every corner of the world.” 越过长城，走向世界 – yuè guò cháng chéng, zǒu xiàng shì jiè A few years later, in 1994, China was officially online. On April 20th, some nerds from China’s…
Easy Chinese – 20 Animal Vocabulary Words Posted by sasha on May 4, 2014
Everybody loves animals – keeping them as pets, seeing them at the zoo, visiting a farm, or even going on a safari. Oh yeah, and some of them are pretty tasty, too (sorry, vegetarians). A very popular lesson for any language is learning the names of animals. We’ve got you covered here on on the…
May 1st Holiday in China Posted by sasha on Apr 30, 2014
When the clock strikes midnight, it’ll be yet another public holiday in China – Labor Day (劳动节 – láo dòng jié), more commonly referred to as “Five-One” (五一 – wǔ yī). This used to be one of three “Golden Weeks” (黄金周 – huáng jīn zhōu) in China, along with the Spring Festival and National Day…
5 Awesome Beijing Day Trips Posted by sasha on Apr 29, 2014
Living in the smog-filled concrete jungle of Beijing can be a bit depressing, especially for nature lovers. Sure, there are plenty of local parks, but sometimes flying a kite and practicing tai chi just isn’t enough to satisfy the urge for some time in the great outdoors. Luckily, there are tons of worthwhile day trips…