In the wee hours of the dusty morn, a hero lurks the alleyways of old Beijing. He has the body of the Spartan and the face of a ghoul. His eyes and cheekbones seem chiseled from granite. shirt and pants are torn asunder and streaked with every oil, chemical, paste and sauce imaginable. With his …Read More
Just got back from the Dalian beer festival, Xu Zhiyong was arrested, The piss ran in streams from the urinals, And not a soul protested, Here we are in the land of the dragons, Xu Zhiyong was arrested, Maybe Hu’s words got lost in the Jargon, Cause not a soul protested, The rule of law, The rule of law, …Read More
We’ve all seen them, and chances are we’ve all been them at one point or another. A quick walk to the nearest Starbucks or Metro in China, and you will notice that expats come in all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. In general, most of the laowais living here in the Middle Kingdom are fantastic people …Read More
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Everywhere in China you can find Jade. They sell it in street corners, in subway stations, in supermarkets, and in jewelry stores. Some Jade costs as little as 1 yuan and some as much as 100k+ yuan. Whether it’s black, blue, green, yellow or white, Jade is very shiny and alluring, though it’s often a mystery to foreigners and Chinese people alike. So how do you buy Jade without being cheated? I know it can be confusing so here is a brief introduction to “the king of Jade†that is Fěicuì.Read More
I am in some doubt as to where I stand on taking the train for long-distance journeys in China. I have in the past found myself admiring the rail networks ability to transport you to the farthest corners of the country, provided with food, water, and a place to lie down and sleep. On other …Read More
I am one of those people who associate music with times and places in my life. As the academic year in China comes to a close, a few songs stick out to define the highs and lows of the rookie year of my China experience. If you are about to start your own trip to …Read More
There is currently a sense in China that a Damoclesian sword is hovering ethereally over the head of the nation. The fear is palpable; it can be read in all the newspapers, heard in daily conversations and glimpsed in the growing proliferation of facemasks. With the gradual spread of Swine Flu across the mainland, the …Read More
I like to think of myself as an adventurous eater, a game one. I tend to follow a monkey see monkey do policy when it comes to food; if I see someone else eat, and they’re not asphyxiated by disgust moments afterwards, I’ll give it a go. Still, I would be lying to say that …Read More
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since tragedy struck Sichuan — killing nearly 90,000 people and displacing millions. And while time can’t pass fast enough in putting that horrible day firmly behind us all, today is a good day to remember that its survivors are still in need. Working hard to remind …Read More
We expats have a strange relationship with the phenomenon of xenophobia. These occasional encounters of the red-neck kind are a two-edged sword for us bloggy types. They can be a morale-sapping reminder of inescapable ‘otherness’, whilst providing excellent grist for the expat mill, that sees us shaking our heads at the nonsensical society we have …Read More
Fortunately during these difficult times, the forces of harmonious ascent onto the global stage have an ally. Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals, and obviously recognize the importance of China’s role in international trade to the ‘greater good’ of the planet as a whole. As such, a large task force of Anti-Pirate Dolphins has been …Read More
China has called up its first black athlete in the form of 19-year-old Ding Hui, who is in fact mixed-race. The ace volleyball player (pictured, below right) has a Chinese mother and a South African father, and speaks only Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) and Hangzhouhua (the dialect of his home city, Hangzhou). It will be good …Read More
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