Richard Brubaker recently wrote a poignant piece at All Roads Lead to China called “When the Ambulance Doesn’t Come“, in which he talks about the recent heart-breaking story of a 3-year-old British boy in Shanghai who died from injuries sustained when a partition at a restaurant fell on him. Though the mother and restaurant owner …Read More
There’s always “one more thing” that wasn’t mentioned the first time around. I’m in the middle of the registration process for a client’s company. Because I know the process, and because the sole reason for hiring my personal assistant Jimmy was to have someone who stands in lines, things are going much much faster for …Read More
After my last post for Lost Laowai, where I expressed my annoyance with the irritating and pointless public announcements in Chinese public transport, I will now move on to another aspect of life in China which I find irritating: the tendency of the Chinese to address foreigners in English even when it would be easier …Read More
Over the years I’ve lived in China, certain aspects of life here have begun to bother me more and more. I think it’s normal. Every long term expat has their pet peeves about China. There is one particular thing which began to irritate me when I had been living in China for around three years, …Read More
Philippines-based tour operator, A3 Tours & Travel, recently posted the following story on their Facebook page from a passenger on a Hong Kong flight. The tl;dr of it is that you should not naively believe your carry-on luggage is safe in the overhead bins — the contents might not just have shifted during flight, they …Read More
In response to “What tips and tricks have you learned that have made it easier to live in China?” recently asked on Quora, long-time China expat and Beijing resident Kaiser Kuo dished out some fantastic advice — his last one, quite possibly the toughest to follow, is my fav. Stay tuned after Kaiser’s advice for …Read More
I had a very what people might call “typical†Chinese-American upbringing; I spoke Chinese with my parents at home, unwillingly sat through two hours of Chinese school every week, ate moon cakes during the mid-Autumn festival and received red envelopes filled with money during Chinese New Year. I also had my phases of wishing I …Read More
Tragic news out of Beijing today. A bus carrying a German tour group was engulfed in flames after rear-ending a truck on a highway near Beijing. Current reports indicate that six people have died, and a further 14 are injured. While the identities of the victims have not yet been released, five of the dead …Read More
Things are certainly escalating in regards to anti-Japanese protests due to China’s ongoing dispute with Japan over the contested Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. I’ve heard mention from a few people that more protests are likely planned for this weekend, and no doubt continuing after that. The following is a warning from the US Embassy for its citizens to avoid such events, as they can quickly turn violent.
In light of news of ongoing and likely further protests in China related to a territorial dispute in the East China Sea between China and Japan, the United States Embassy and Consulates General in China remind U.S. citizens that even gatherings intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution when in the vicinity of any demonstrations. U.S. citizens should stay abreast of media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
Read More
Banking in China. Topped only by shopping the week before Spring Festival and pretty much any time spent at a post office; China’s convoluted and largely archaic banking system is, at best, a torturous experience. Long lines of clientele that seem downright surprised (and thus appropriately unprepared) to be banking at all; service with a …Read More
The Shanghaiist just posted about a near riot in Zhengzhou, Henan, a few days ago. The spark of the unrest was that a foreigner allegedly slapped and spit in the face of a Chinese woman. A Caucasian man, appearing to be middle aged and sporting a Walmart brochure in the left breast pocket of his …Read More
Time may provide you with the skills to manage Bad China Days, but there is no cure. I’m finally home from an extremely stressful morning downtown. I had to head to the PSB to get my visa sorted out. Surprisingly this was not where the stress came in. With the exception of a small delay …Read More
Return to Top ▲
