CNChina

China

Blog Posts

ChinaChina

Xiahe:

After a ten hour overnight train ride and a five hour bus ride through the snowy switch-backs of the Tibetan Plateau, our group reached Xiahe, a town with a population of about 15,000 in the north western province of Gansu.  Xiahe is the home of the Labrang Monastery and about ... read more

Cali  Livingstone

ChinaChina

China--The Melting Pot of the World?

Posted on January 30th, 2010 by Cole   With over 56 different ethnicities spanning China’s 34 provinces, it is no wonder that this country touts a population of 1.3 billion. It simply amazes me that a single government can control these masses. It seems that a communist regime might just ... read more

Cole Patterson

ChinaChina

I look like a little boy

I finished up my active duty time with the US Marine Corps back in June 2009 and since then I have not cut my hair once. As you may have seen from some of the footage, it looks ridiculous, but regardless, I thought it would be fun to grow my ... read more

Brian Lipski

ChinaChina

China

Smog. Smog is the theme for Beijing. We have been here 3 days and I haven’t actually seen the sun yet. The smog is so bad here that you can actually see the smog dust on top of every single car and building. I am assuming that washing your car ... read more

Brian Lipski

ChinaChina

Fire Flowers and Funny Dumplings! Chinese New Years in a small village

 Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy New Years! This year the New Year landed on the most auspicious of Western holidays, February 14th (Happy Valentine’s everyone, and Happy Birthday ASHLEY!).  Last night we welcomed in this year of the tiger in a more traditional setting in a small village about 45 ... read more

Cali  Livingstone

ChinaChina

Quirks, Cars, and Walls

Well, imagine that! Three weeks have flown by and I’m just now getting to my first blog post. It has been quite the whirlwind getting settled down in Xi'an. I'm not really sure what I expected to find when I came to China, but what I've experienced in these past ... read more

Cali  Livingstone

ChinaChina

Backlong 1: The China Chronicles

Backlog 1: The China Chronicles Part 1: Welcome to China, please put on these pajamas I’m in china and it's been absolutely weird since the moment I entered. But in a good way. I took the subway from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, which is a Special Economic Zone that borders ... read more

Molly Sterns

ChinaChina

The Grocery Store Conundrum

There are too many people in China. It is a fact that the Chinese themselves even seem aware of.  This generally leads to the crowded cities and neighborhoods that exemplify typical life for us urban dwellers.  I am a city person, and I don't worry about the crowds or lack ... read more

Zachary Bennett

ChinaChina

Hong Kong, the Chungking Mansion

Anyone who has spent more than a week in Hong Kong has probably experienced the Chungking Mansion.  It is by no means a "mansion."  It's a mansion's worst nightmare.  The first few floors are filled with African and Sri Lankan vendors selling everything from snacks to dvd players.  The floors ... read more

Tricia Reville

ChinaChina

???? (Game Master)

 When my host father was young, he told me, his favorite hobby was Go.  It’s a game played on a grid with black and white stones, and, like chess, it mimics a battle between two opposing forces.  My father would routinely miss meals and stay up late in order to practice with ... read more

Kevin Keller

ChinaChina

????? (I Get Addicted To Drugs)

 A few days ago I came down with another cold.  Having already given away all my cough drops in times of plenty, I trudged to the supermarket across the street to buy a new packet.  I should have looked up the word for “lozenge” before leaving because once in the pharmacy I ... read more

Kevin Keller

ChinaChina

All Aboard, Abroad

I flew to Beijing to visit John over the long weekend for National Day. He met me at the airport, and swung my single, small duffel bag over his shoulder. When we walked outside into the brisk autumn air, and grabbed a cab. He authoritatively told the taxi driver to ... read more

Melissa Sconyers

ChinaChina

The Juice Man and the Giant Peach

As far as I can tell, the main advantage of living in a metropolis built on a tropical island is the vast availability of inexpensive fresh juice. Guava, pink guava, watermelon, kiwi, orange, mango, passion fruit, and many exotic types are available from a corner store (bottled locally that same ... read more

Melissa Sconyers

ChinaChina

Posturing and Attitude

Buji Jie is effective at wearing down the casual visitor.  It is not the tourist China, it lacks any of the shining classical architecture and gracious hostesses with beaming smiles.  Instead one is assaulted with a cacophony of neon lights and coo calls from spas and bars without windows.  Garbage ... read more

Zachary Bennett

ChinaChina

Making the Most of 'Morning'

Every morning, when I walk past the metal mailboxes and down the steep stairs, the doorman greets me. Well, he IS a doorman, in that he sits by the door, but he is nothing like the uniformed, well-mannered man who manned the door at my apartment in Midtown Manhattan. He's ... read more

Melissa Sconyers

ChinaChina

The Discussion at the Holiday Dinner Table: Obama, Cross-Cultural Politics, and Women's Hair

For Mid-Autumn Festival, my host country counterpart invited me, my sitemate, and two of our friends over to her apartment to celebrate the holiday and enjoy fine Chinese food. Lucy, her English name, is also an English teacher at the college where I work. It turned out to be a ... read more

Victoria Neff

ChinaChina

Never Take The Slow Train

Two weekends ago, all the volunteers in Guizhou province went to the provincial capital Guiyang for a welcoming party with a pirate theme.  During the day before the party, a bunch of us had lunch at a really nice restaurant where we were treated to a meal per someone's VIP ... read more

Victoria Neff

ChinaChina

Bridge Diplomacy

A giant gleaming white tower sits in the middle of Dan Dong, China with piercing neon-green lasers that stretch out into the sky, about sixty km in  all four cardinal directions, and rotate like the multi-spoked steering wheel of an electronica pirate ship. These lasers stretch out over the heads ... read more

Austin Y

ChinaChina

Not Even Naptime is Sacred

Every day at the school, lunch rolls around.  This is marked by a slow leakage of students and teachers off toward their respective cafeterias.  This leak bursts open after the final class bell rings and the walkways become a crowded jam of umbrellas and shuffling feet, a sea of black ... read more

Zachary Bennett

ChinaChina

Living Through a Level 8 Typhoon

Well, I'm all by my lonesome self in Hong Kong now. Just me and seven million other people. Only a few hours after John left to spend a semester studying Chinese in Beijing, I was already living it up, wild and crazy style. Yep. Sans the boyfriend, I even left ... read more

Melissa Sconyers

see all blogs |

Advertisements

Books

Banned books for sale

Katrina Klett

12 May 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_books.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/books/

/tips/country/CN/

It is well known that China has a tight grip on the circulation of literature. But fear not, you can buy any banned book at most roadside underpasses. The vendor will spread out a blanket under the bridge and start lying out all kinds of juicy titles. You can also pick up taboo magazines, like Newsweek and other titles to scratch your current events itch. But buy them quickly and if you see any guys briskly walking towards the blankets in green or gray suits, you should step away from the blanket. Not that it will be a problem for you, but make some room for the man selling the books to quickly gather up his things and run down the street, books and blankets in hand. It's amazing how quickly on can run with so many books!

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_books.png

Getting Around

Never take "black cabs"

Melissa Sconyers

05 Mar 2010

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_transportation_.png

Melissa Sconyers

/tips/topic/getting-around/

/tips/country/CN/

In many underdeveloped regions and cities, you're going to be greeted at the bus stop, train station, or airpor by a fleet of illegitimate cars or cars pretending to be cabs. Do whatever research in advance you can to figure out what the particular local scam is, and how legitimate cabs identify themselves, so that you can protect your well-being and your wallet.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_transportation_.png

Festivals & Events

A day to NOT go to temples

Katrina Klett

24 Jun 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_events.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/festivals-events/

/tips/country/CN/

There is a time to stay away from China's many beautiful temples: Spring Festival. There are so many people there that you can barely walk. My first week in China, I was taken to a festival and was in no way ready for the sheer volume of beings fighting for a place in line to get to the small snack stands they set up all around the temple grounds. It may sound tempting to see the Chinese population in full force, but trust me--it is a bit overwhelming!

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_events.png

Culture Shock

Ease Into the local cuisine (don't try to stomach duck feet on your first night)

Jamie Barys

26 Aug 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_cultureshock.png

Jamie Barys

/tips/topic/culture-shock/

/tips/country/CN/

On my first night in Beijing, I went to a group dinner at a restaurant aptly titled "The Nine-Headed Bird." Our lazy susan was covered with unrecognizable dishes, including webbed duck feet and shrimp that were still alive and very much kicking. I couldn’t steel my stomach to keep down a single bite. For a week after, my meals were limited to rice, until I stumbled upon dumplings -- my gateway dish. After inhaling a plate of 40 of these tiny Chinese raviolis, my neophobia made an about-face. If Chinese cooks could invent dumplings, I was excited to sample more of their delicious cuisine. Now, after two years in the Middle Kingdom, I can’t wait to sink my chopsticks into the latest and strangest delicacy, from duck tongues to pigeon brain.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_cultureshock.png

Must Do

Check out Hong Kong's big Buddha!

Nadia Sheng

30 Aug 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_mustdo.png

Nadia  Sheng

/tips/topic/must-do/

/tips/country/CN/

If you enjoy sightseeing, then visit Hong Kong's Tian Tan Buddha. It's so large that an adult human can just fit on Buddha's big toenail. If you travel there by cable car, you can enjoy the serene ocean and lush island hills that lie below, as well as the peaceful monastery in the surrounding village.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_mustdo.png

Etiquette

People might call you fat

Katrina Klett

23 Apr 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_etiquette.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/etiquette/

/tips/country/CN/

In the United States, it's not appropriate to mention someone's weight in a negative context at parties. However, in China, this seems to be perfectly okay. I have been out with several ex-pat friends who are, well, a little larger than most Chinese people. When meeting my Chinese friends for drinks a while back, I was a bit shocked that they started calling an ex-pat friend of mine, "Big Bamboo." When we asked them why they used this nickname, they said, "Well, you are very fat." Strange that, in a country so concerned with saving face, this doesn't seem at all taboo.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_etiquette.png

Food

Beware of free grocery store samples

Katrina Klett

04 Aug 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_food.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/food/

/tips/country/CN/

One of the worst cases of food poisoning I have ever had came from some grocery store clams. It started innocently enough. There were men in the grocery store cooking clams, and they smelled so good. Some of them were a bit cold, but I ate them anyway. Well, about 30 minutes later, the clams moved through me and moved me to my bed for a day and a half. I considered the hospital, but I weighed the option of possible death in the bed vs. braving the hospital waiting room and I was so sick, I opted for the bed. I came through it, but I do not wish my fate upon anyone else. You've been warned!

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_food.png

Film

The World in Beijing

Amy Adoyzie Lam

05 Mar 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_film.png

Amy Adoyzie Lam

/tips/topic/film/

/tips/country/CN/

"The World" (Chinese title: "Shijie"), directed and written by Zhang Ke Jia, revolves around the lives of ordinary Chinese folks who work at a theme park that is a miniaturized version of the world with famous international landmark attractions. This films provides a good view into modern China, especially the plight of its common people who migrate to the bustling cities from the countryside to find work and wealth and are usually summarily disappointed. The juxtaposition of the wealth of Beijing and the lifestyle of the working class who keep it up is an amazing contrast to take in. Watch this film before visiting to appreciate the complexity of contemporary life in China.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_film.png

Packing

Scraps of paper

Melissa Sconyers

05 Mar 2010

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_packing.png

Melissa Sconyers

/tips/topic/packing/

/tips/country/CN/

I find it very useful to carry around scraps of paper (usually a stack of Post-it Notes or a tiny Moleskine with tear-out pages) and a pen. These tools come in handy when you can't communicate in the local language, and need to draw a picture. They also come in handy when you need someone to write down directions, or when you want to exchange contact information.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_packing.png

Fashion

It doesn't matter how hot you are--wear long underwear

Katrina Klett

26 Mar 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_fashion.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/fashion/

/tips/country/CN/

When you are living with Chinese people, be sure to put on twice as much clothing as you actually need to wear. It doesn't matter if it is 65 degrees and sunny, with no wind. You get your long underwear on, button up your collar, throw on a scarf, and a long sleeve jacket. Otherwise, everyone you meet will ask you, "Aren't you cold?" People will even stop you on the street and ask you if you are cold. I don't know how they do it! You pack 100 people onto a bus in that weather and yet everyone has long underwear on. When in China, you must dress as though a blizzard may strike any moment.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_fashion.png

Slang

Pretty fly for a laowai

Katrina Klett

26 Mar 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_slang.png

Katrina Klett

/tips/topic/slang/

/tips/country/CN/

As a foreigner in China, I am quite used to overhearing conversations about myself in public places. They usually range from guessing my country of origin to commenting on my clothing, etc. One day, while eating lunch, I overheard some men at the next table talking about my, well, physical attributes. After several minutes, I turned to them and used this idiom: "Dui zhongguo ren shuo, tian bu pa, di bu pa, zhi pa laowai shuo zhongwen hua!" It means, "The Chinese do not fear the earth nor the the heavens, they only fear the foreigner who can speak Chinese!" I use this phrase only when I overhear things about myself I would rather not be hearing. Feel free to do the same.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_slang.png

Being an American

The locals don't hate you, even if they're staring

Steven Schwab

21 Jul 2009

China

http://media.glimpse.org/images/flags/gifs/cn.gif

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_title_american.png

Steven Schwab

/tips/topic/being-an-american/

/tips/country/CN/

The boy had just rounded the corner when he saw me. Immediately, his eyes grew wide. “Laowai! Laowai!” (foreigner! foreigner!) he exclaimed. Moments later, they began to appear--men and women, young and old...half of the village had gathered to look at and whisper about the foreigner. Any visitor to China can tell you about the gazes, mutterings, and "special" attention that accompanied their stay. But never fear, the locals don't hate you. Average Chinese people just rarely have contact with outsiders, so happening across one is almost like meeting an alien. So try to take it in stride “laowai” is often no more than an acknowledgment of your specialness--you're someone they want to meet and understand.

http://media.glimpse.org/images/tip_american.png

Or login with Facebook:

Forgot your password? We can help you change it! Click Here

Not registered? Click here to create an account.