Apr 11, 2024
Foreigners have a reputation for clumsiness in China. The litany of knocks, breaks and injuries accumulated by my expat friends is truly alarming. Excluding digestive disagreements, simply for brevity’s sake, here are some of the most common expat injuries in China. Read more>>
Nov 27, 2010 Comments(0)
Alcohol is simply a part of life here in China. It plays a role in weddings, funerals, ceremonies, and friendships. It can jumpstart a relationship or seal a business deal. But how much do you really know about the alcohol you’re guzzling during your ...... Read More>>
Nov 25, 2010 Comments(4)
Photo: jimnjodys Do you ever openly ignore someone because you don't want to get into the strain of a second-language conversation? Do you ever push through a crowd or have an expression of disgust because you can no longer stand people being everywhere, ...... Read More>>
Nov 23, 2010 Comments(0)
In 2000, the Japanese Prime Minister, Obuchi Keizo, suffered a fatal stroke. The cause of death was supposed to be work-stress. "Karoshi" or death from overwork, is now seen as a cause of social-strife in Japan, and workaholism as a serious ...... Read More>>
Nov 18, 2010 Comments(2)
Everyone knows that stereotyping is a dangerous game to play and that it can hurt feelings and stir heated debates. Having said that, stereotyping is sometimes great fun, especially if it’s only intended as a light-hearted joke. Here is a by no means ...... Read More>>
Nov 15, 2010 Comments(0)
Recently, an article was published in the Los Angeles Times that threw light on an issue that has been brewing in China for the past three decades. Over 200 million Chinese are now overweight, of which 75 million are clinically obese. According to the World ...... Read More>>
Nov 09, 2010 Comments(1)
As the old adage goes: You get out of life that which you put into it. This is particularly true of expat life in China. Here are some ideas for making the most of your time in the middle kingdom. Photo: janedark.com 1) Learn the language and culture This ...... Read More>>
Nov 08, 2010 Comments(2)
Geologically, the separation between the North and the South is easy to define: two continental cratons, edges merging near the Huai River. Culturally and ethnically, however, the division fades from somewhere in the centre like a bad Chinese haircut, ...... Read More>>
Oct 29, 2010 Comments(0)
Fast food's popularity in China is no secret. Take a walk down the street of any major city and you are sure to pass countless signs for KFC, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut – sometimes within fifty meters of one another. Lest you think this is only a “big ...... Read More>>
Oct 27, 2010 Comments(0)
Ask any wine connoisseur about the Bordeaux region of France and they’ll wax lyrical about terroir, but ask the same oenophile about the Shanxi region of China, and they’ll stare blankly. In the past, China’s reputation as a wine producer ...... Read More>>
Oct 25, 2010 Comments(0)
With the presence of dubious massage and KTV parlours, foreigners in China, or those that have visited China, often mistakenly assume that that these places are solely extensions of the sex industry. It is easy to pass off these venues - along with Chinese ...... Read More>>
Oct 19, 2010 Comments(6)
Being an expat in China comes with a lot of advantages – you experience a completely different culture, meet people you'd never normally meet, learn a new language (well, maybe) and basically have the adventure of a lifetime. But no matter how much ...... Read More>>
Oct 11, 2010 Comments(1)
The first time I went shopping for face cream in Shanghai, I was accosted by an eager sales assistant brandishing a new product. This cream, she assured me, would render my skin as white as a dove. I cut a hasty retreat, discouraged by her vigorous sales ...... Read More>>
Oct 02, 2010 Comments(0)
Recently on the train back from Kunming to Beijing, we shared a berth with two older Chinese PLA wives. Clearly used to being pampered and petted, these women told us all about how they never had to wait in line at the hospital, how they always traveled in ...... Read More>>
Sep 16, 2010 Comments(1)
You have likely noticed the ubiquitous QQ alert tone. It’s that strident little beeping shuffle you hear everywhere there are Chinese people glued to their phones or laptops in a concerted effort to pass the time, a series of six shrill bleeps. Yes, that ...... Read More>>
Aug 27, 2010 Comments(0)
Photo: Banalities Whether you like to try and make it home once a year, or once every five years (hey, I don’t judge), there are certain things for which you should brace yourself. The first time I took my yearly visit back to the US, I was taken ...... Read More>>
Aug 20, 2010 Comments(0)
It might happen to me 3 or 4 times before I hit the bus stop by my house. First at the bottom of the elevator, another time after I pass the playground, maybe again at the intersection. People are always stopping me in the middle of what I’m doing so they ...... Read More>>
Jul 15, 2010 Comments(3)
There are those who may find the title of this article a little strange. After all, the object of any game is to win, isn't it? Why should Chinese drinking games be any different? Fact is, I don't want to get your hopes up. You play Chinese drinking games, ...... Read More>>
Jun 21, 2010 Comments(1)
Horror stories abound about ayis. Everyone seems to know someone who knows someone whose ayi did something truly outlandish or unconscionable. Here we take a look at a few of the most common horror stories and what you can learn from them. If you’re ...... Read More>>
Jun 03, 2010 Comments(0)
We told you why you should leave, now here’s the other side of the story: seven compelling reasons why maybe you should stick around just another year… or ten. Photo: dbking 1) Quality of life China is increasingly livable. Many of the ...... Read More>>
May 14, 2010
So you don't like your prospects in post-crash America, and you want to come to China to get on the corporate fast -track? Great! But please don't. Nothing personal - OK, something personal - most of us foreigners came here to get away from the likes of ...... Read More>>
Apr 24, 2010
Sun Feifei 孙菲菲, a Chinese actress that is said to possess traditional elements of what is considered beautiful for a Chinese woman “Traditional” beauty and actress Sun Feifei has recently had her pictures taken for a series of promotional ...... Read More>>
Apr 15, 2010 Comments(0)
Freedom is a much abused word. There’s the negative aspect – being free from restrictions; and the positive aspect – actually being able to do something. Westerners are used to the way the state and their nexus of social expectations ...... Read More>>
Apr 03, 2010 Comments(0)
While China is a diverse country with a wide variety of regional cuisines, many of them are cooked in the same way - by being fried in a wok. This practice produces a meal that is quick, tasty, and unfortunately, fatty. Combine China’s love of the wok ...... Read More>>
Mar 09, 2010 Comments(0)
2010 Qualities for a New Alpha Female is Widely Circulated Online “2010 qualities for the new alpha female: she is a respectable hostess in the living room; is her own woman in the kitchen; knows how to kill & delete Trojan horses; is ...... Read More>>
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