Category Archives: Uncategorized

Getting a Job

28
Oct
2008

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 [...]

By Andrew | Comments (1)

Renting in China Part 1

16
Oct
2008

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, [...]

By Andrew | Comments (0)

Visa Fun!

9
Oct
2008

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 [...]

By Andrew | Also posted in Politics and Diplomacy, Pronunciation, Vocabulary | Comments (3)

Overcoming the Language Barrier: Chinese Hip Hop

25
Jul
2008

In the 1990s, two cultures crossed paths as they travelled to opposite ends of the earth. In 1993, specifically, nine rappers from New York would release their first album, launching their careers as one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed hip hop groups of all time. The Wu Tang Clan (named [...]

By admin | Also posted in Culture | Comments (8)

Olympic Lockdown

22
Jul
2008

Olympic Lockdown
July 20th marked the start of Beijing in Olympic Lockdown Mode. For approximately the next two months, the city will turn blue in the face while attempting to hold in its proverbial gut while showcasing itself to the world as a sleek, modern, clean, and efficient capital city ready to assume its place among [...]

By ryan | Comments (0)

On the Bargain Road

1
Jul
2008

One of my more embarrassing moments as a student of Chinese came not here in China but back in Maine in the fall of 1998, when I returned from a year in Beijing to the University of Maine at Farmington along with a teacher from the Chinese department of Beijing University of Technology. As I’d [...]

By admin | Also posted in Culture | Comments (7)

Examining the Chinese Menu

12
Jun
2008

The first thing you learn: nobody’s even heard of General Tsao’s chicken. Negative on the tangerine chicken as well, and the shrimp lo mein is nowhere to be found. The good news is, there’s mooshu pork a plenty, but if you’re going to survive for very long, you’d better have some idea of what [...]

By admin | Comments (2)

Misunderstandings: Do You Want it Or Not?

8
Jun
2008

When I first started coming to China and getting involved speaking Chinese on a daily basis, I was often confronted with a situation in which I thought I knew what was being said because I understood each of the words used. It’s an easy approach if you’re translating directly, but direct translation has its [...]

By admin | Comments (1)