Laundry – that pesky household chore you probably don’t want to waste much time or thought on. So why am I writing a post about this? Getting your clothes clean, how hard can that be? Well, in China, doing laundry is different than in the US and many Northern European … read more
Beijing is quite notorious for its bad air quality. The smog is especially frequent and thick in winter, when more coal burning and stagnant weather patterns contribute to the accumulation of particles over the city. During this time the levels of unhealthy PM 2.5 particles can exceed many times the … read more
Learning Chinese characters can be daunting. Therefore, many foreigners living in China don’t plan on mastering the reading and writing of the Chinese language. Still, there are a handful of characters – actually, more like two handful or so – that are very useful and quite common in daily life. … read more
When it comes to shopping, there are so many ways in which the final price of an item is determined, and every country seem to have its own rules and preferences, e.g., membership and other discounts, coupons, special sales events, bargaining. So how do you get a good price when … read more
This is a short post to remind anyone who worked and paid taxes in China in 2012 about using the 2012 tax document to transfer money out of China. If you want wire money from China to another country and have not yet used the 2012 tax document that proves you … read more
In a typical Chinese market, you won’t find many price tags. The seller may adjust the asking price as he or she sees fit, and the bargaining can begin. Haggling for the price is common in Chinese markets, no matter if for clothing, household items, electronics, jewelry, or any kind … read more
With the summer over and the short fall underway, the dreaded Beijing winter will soon be here. This post explores the seasons in Beijing and how to cope with them. Technically, Beijing has four seasons, but a hot, humid summer and a freezing cold, dry winter dominate the year. Spring … read more
We have traveled throughout the Asian region and had the opportunity to witness different ways of doing things. After living in China for a while, no less in the capital city Beijing, I have learned a lot about the Chinese people and their way of doing certain things. And I have … read more
Chinese, like many Asian languages, is a tonal language, meaning that the same sound with a different tone has a different meaning. Mastering those Chinese tones is really difficult for many Westerners. So you may ask: Are tones really that important for learning Chinese? Does context trump tones? Some foreigners … read more
Are you scared coming to China and not speaking a word of Chinese? While it is possible to get by with just English in some areas of Beijing, learning at least basic Mandarin makes a huge difference in every day life. Of course, you can put off learning the Chinese language … read more