Dinner at the Great Hall

Getting invited to have dinner at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing (wikipedia article) is comparable to being invited to have dinner at the White House. So last night when i had the privilege of joining a few friends for dinner at The Great Hall i knew that this was a night i [...]

And The Answer Is

See yesterday’s post for the pop quiz.
I was very amused by your comments and your emails. Some of you were correct in your guess and others were wrong.
The correct answer is that the picture was taken while waiting for the Line 10 subway in Beijing. Yes, that’s right, i said BEIJING! People were standing in [...]

Pop Quiz, Hotshot

(first of all, who can name the movie from which the title comes?)
Here’s the real quiz question:
Was this photo taken in Hong Kong or Beijing?
hint: notice the formation in which the people are waiting for the subway.

Bonus: Why is this observation important?

Gimme your best answers… maybe there is a prize involved.

The Big Six Zero

In just a few days the People’s Republic of China will be turning 60 years old. And what does a 60 year old deserve to do on her birthday? PAAARTAYY!!
That’s right. When China turns 60 on October 1st Beijing is going to erupt into the greatest birthday bash you’ve ever laid eyes on. They are [...]

5 for 2

Recently, I was out late with a few friends and when we got home it was after 10:30 p.m. The three of us realized that we had not eaten dinner yet because we had been so busy. My two Chinese friends suggested that we go find some street food to eat since eating at a [...]

Don’t Walk!

A few nights ago i was walking home very late with my friend, Stephen. Stephen is Chinese, but his English is excellent so we were having a delightful conversation about American politics. Maybe i’ll write another post about that conversation because it was very insightful for both me and him.
Stephen and i had about a [...]

A Journey to a Name

I have recently learned that living in China requires that i must put some effort and thought into a solid and meaningful Chinese name. When i got to China i knew that many of my friends had Chinese names, but i sorta thought about it like that time i had to pick a Spanish name [...]

Reverse Culture Shock

If you have traveled abroad for an extended time or are planning to travel abroad then this post is for you. The mystery and frustration of reverse culture shock can quickly dampen your spirit and possibly create a loss of friends because all you do is moan and groan about your hometown and home culture. [...]

100 Chinese Foods You Need To Try

It’s 4th of July weekend and that means my mind is on food. Lots and lots of food!!
China is known for it’s delicious food and every small town and big city has famous foods that travelers and locals alike should try.
appetiteforchina.com has a list of 100 Chinese foods you should try.
My favorite is #68. What [...]

A Little Bit of Shock

Culture Shock is such a loaded term. I know it’s a reality, but i think it’s often overused and often misused as a way to excuse our complaining. Reverse Culture Shock is also another term that is interesting to me. Reverse Culture Shock is what happens when you return to your home culture after being [...]