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Being Direct in Chinese Posted by sasha on Nov 27, 2018
When you travel or move to China, a little bit of culture shock (文化冲击 – wén huà chōng jí) is inevitable. I know I certainly experienced it when I first moved there, whether it was trying different food (silk worm larvae, anyone?), drinking baijiu (白酒 – bái jiǔ) for the first time (gross), or learning…
Postpartum Chinese Tradition: The Sitting Month Posted by Ayana on Aug 27, 2018
An old Chinese custom became controversial in recent years: the 坐月子 (zuò yuè zi) tradition. 坐 (zuò) means “to sit”, 月 (yuè) means “month”, and 月子 is the first month after giving birth. This ancient practice takes care not of the new born, but of the new mom, who have just been through a long…
Chinese Famous Singer Wakin Cahu Posted by Ayana on Mar 5, 2018
周华健 (Zhōuhuájiàn) is a famous Chinese singer (also known by the names Wakin Chau, or Emil Chau). He has sung professionally for more than three decades, in several languages, and is quite popular in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. 华健’s clear voice and romantic songs gained him fans of all ages from diverse…
4 Must-Know Expressions for Chinese Beginner’s Traveling in China Posted by Ayana on Sep 4, 2017
Yuzuki is a Japanese girl I met on the train to Kunming. It was only her third month in China, but thanks to her Asian features, the locals kept approaching her with rapid Mandarin. She was grateful for the opportunities to practice her new language, but consistently had to use her broken Chinese to remind…
Describing People in Chinese (Personality) Posted by sasha on Feb 9, 2017
We’ve already learned how to describe someone’s appearance in Chinese, but as we all know, looks aren’t everything. It’s what’s inside that really counts. In this lesson we’ll learn how to describe someone’s personality. Personality Vocabulary To get started, let’s learn 25 Chinese words to describe someone’s personality: friendly (友好 – yǒu hǎo) shy (害羞…
The Old Town of Lijiang Posted by sasha on Aug 30, 2015
One of the most popular places to visit in Yunnan province (and China in general) is the old town of Lijiang (丽江 – lì jiāng). Famed for its snowy mountain peaks, vibrant ethnic minority culture, and relaxed pace of life, this Song Dynasty-era town attracts throngs of tourists, both domestic and international. The town was even…
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…