In my last post I explained how to get your computer connected to your TV and where to get some good media centre software. Before I share a few resources for getting content for your newly configured media centre, I thought I would talk a bit about my home setup and some of the more …Read More
If you’re like me you probably long-ago did away with the bland programming of CCTV9, the endless carousel of period dramas, and ever-more-annoying variety shows that China’s cable providers offer up. For some that means getting outside and getting a life. For people like me, that means finding better ways to get the entertainment I …Read More
Dear Chinese student, If you’re reading this, you have already decided to seek higher education in an English-speaking country. Congratulations! Going abroad takes a lot of courage, and I’m sure you’ll do very well. Before you go, though, I’d like to send you a modest list of things to remember when using the English language. …Read More
Caught these two videos during my rounds today. The first comes from the Shanghaiist and shows why China should never trust a Russian screen their ESL teachers: Shanghaiist reader (and tipster), Alexander, explains why appending English phrases with “BLYA” makes videos of Chinese kids viral in Russia: On this video Laowai-teacher (maybe from Russia) teaches …Read More
The fine folks over at the Shanghaiist have put together an absolutely insane* charity event to raise money for health kits for children in rural Yunnan. The talented people at Fly Films helped them put together the following ad for the event:Read More
A great shot of street vendors in late-afternoon Zhuzhou, Hunan. The photo is by the very talented Mark Hobbs, a British/Australian living and working in Zhuzhou, Hunan.Read More
There’s an undeniable disconnect between being a foreigner in China and being a Chinese in China. Yeah, I know, thank you Captain Obvious. As self-evident as that statement is, it’s sometimes easy to neglect the truth in it and ignore the consequences of what it is to be Chinese in China. Maybe this is only …Read More
This is clever. So a few years ago Google enters China and is put under a global grilling lamp on whether or not it will adhere to local laws regarding censorship and its search results. Don’t Be Evil held for a little while, but 300+ million Chinese Internet users was bound to make anyone check …Read More
In a recent post, the Atlantic’s James Fallows talks about a song and video by a group of Harvard Chinese language students. The song, “HÄfó/Harvard Welcomes You! 哈佛æ¡è¿Žä½ !”, has the American students singing in Chinese, praising their studies and teachers in Chinese Bb – Elementary Modern Chinese. Fallows draws a good comparison between the style …Read More
I’ve had Mao’s Last Dancer on my “to watch” list for a while now, and finally sat down and gave it a look the other night.
I’ve no doubts that the reason it sat for so long unwatched was because my academic desire to watch it couldn’t beat out the fact that I’d be spending two hours watching a dude dance. Fortunately for me, my less-evolved side succumbed to ever-eroding powers of having nothing else to watch.Read More
Should we get involved? A question that has plagued foreigners living in China since time immemorial. Do we step in when we see some gross injustice, or simply let it pass as “not our fight?” It’s a tough question, and one not easily answered — unless you’re a rollerblading laowai in southern China’s Guangzhou. Being …Read More
I’ve been resisting the idea of doing a “goodbye China” post for awhile now, just as I resisted the idea that I was leaving China. I remember clearly what it was like the summer before I left America. Those initial emails, the excitement, the trepidation. The realization that my options were a) go to grad …Read More
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