Foreigners in big cities don't realize how lucky they are
2010-08-04 10:32:23
Beijing of late certainly has its modern benefits and, let's be honest, for those willing to uproot themselves to move here led by curiosity, and an impulsively purchased plane ticket, arriving in China's capital isn't as hard as moving to, say, "real China".
Get a charge out of nature
2010-08-03 09:33:35
I rubbed my eyes as I watched the morning sun slowly inch its way into my bedroom. It was early too early. As I got up, my rubbery legs screamed at me to lie back down.
Architectural wonder or a potential eyesore?
2010-08-02 14:05:26
Like most people in and outside China, I believe the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, is a truly stunning structure. It is unique among the world's major sports venues. And I count the day spent viewing track and field events during the 2008 Olympic Games as one of my most memorable China experiences.
Will Mandarin replace English in popularity?
2010-08-02 11:50:13
Some say it seems as if English's role as the most popular language in the world may be about to wane in favor of Mandarin. The hundreds of thousands of college kids and other language enthusiasts that pour into China every year are not surprising anymore.
Yellow Fever. [ yel'lo f'var]
2010-07-30 07:49:51
It's the Mount Qomolangma of obstacles, the nightmare on bar street, the reason why single white females cry in their half-price drinks on Ladies Night as they're passed over for the long black hair and short skirts of their Chinese sisters.
Time to serve up respect for fuwuyuan
2010-07-30 07:49:51
Despite the fact that I've been in China for two months, I'm embarrassed to admit that I only know a handful of Chinese words. My vocabulary doe not go much beyond ni hao and xiexie.
Chengguan and police should be separate bodies
2010-07-30 07:49:51
It is reported that an official from the bureau of public security in the capital city will also take on the post of chengguan chief. It will be the first time that a police officer has been employed as the bureau director of the chengguan at the same time as he is still a serving policeman.
Getting nose jobs to land jobs
2010-07-29 07:48:43
Plato postulated about the golden proportions of beauty, the "magic ratios" that make a face pleasing to the eye. A golden visage is one with a width two-thirds of its length and a nose "no longer than the distance between the eyes."
Everybody wants luxury, but not at any price
2010-07-29 07:48:43
If you've ever walked into any of the familiar looking Western luxury brand stores around Beijing, chances are you've walked straight back out again when noticing the less familiar prices. Luxury goods are unbelievably high-priced in Beijing, due to a combination of high tax and store owners desperate to exploit the immodest egos of Beijing's new money.
School smoking culture needs to be stubbed out
2010-07-27 07:51:00
I read with great interest in a recent report that a nationwide ban on smoking in schools went into effect on July 13.
Beijing borderlands are sore sights
2010-07-27 07:51:00
The subway on line 5 came to a jerking stop at Lishuiqiao station. As the doors slid open people jostled for position and quickly streamed toward the exit. I followed the current and after scaling an imposing set of steps my already perspiring body was hit by the hot noonday sun. I was entering Beijing's borderlands the forgotten, ill-cared for confluence of Beijing's Chaoyang and Changping districts. My surroundings resembled a movie set depicting urban decay, but the area was far from disserted. A group of vendors were busily serving pancakes from their carts and the unmistakable rotten stench of stinky doufu wafted through the air.
Taxi company monopolies allow 'black' cabs to flourish
2010-07-27 07:51:00
A survey conducted by Beijing News found mixed feelings toward unlicensed taxis among the public.