Monthly Archives: October 2008

Getting a Job

Hello readers!
As you may or may not know, one of my involvements here in the tumultuous worldwide economy is finding a job here in China- a process known by no other name than 就业 (starting a job).  If you find yourself in a position where you have 失业(lost one’s job/become unemployed), you must work to [...]

Service Phrases One Is Likely to Encounter Whilst in China

First of all, an apology for the late entry.  I got food poisoning.  Most people are wary of getting food from street vendors, but that doesn’t take street credibility into account.  If people get sick from your food and you’re a vendor on the street, you’ll get run out of dodge before you know it.  [...]

Renting in China Part 1

Unless you’ve come to China to 定居(settle down), you’re likely going to be spending money to 租房(rent a house).  Here are some helpful tips to know when you go with a realtor who’s trying to move a property.  If you’re living by yourself, you’ll likely live in an 一居室(single) apartment.  If you’re a fancier type, [...]

Macau - Lemonade out of Lemons

Whilst in Hong Kong, I went with a friend of mine to 澳门 (Macau). We went to the Sands and Venetian casinos. They had 二十一点(blackjack), 百家乐(baccarat), roulette, and others. I stuck to 二十一点 while my friend played the 老虎机(slots). I changed 500 港币 (hong kong dollars) into 筹码(chips) and hit the [...]

Visa Fun!

Greetings readers!
I have just come back from 香港(Hong Kong) because of an issue with my 签证(visa). A multi-entry visa will let you 多次入境, but only for 60 days at a time. I went to the 出入境管理局(border entry-exit administration) at Andingmen, where I found that they could not effectively 延(extend) my visa because I didn’t [...]

When Gift-Giving Goes Awry

The NBA is pretty popular in China, and for good reason.  Fans can watch Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, the sport itself requires very little equipment, and a lot of people can play at the same time- all strong suits.  Moreover, I’ve heard a couple people say that they listen to NBA announcers to make their English more colloquial.  Suffice [...]