Archive for June, 2009

Jun222009

Posted By
Glen

The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Expats

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 trying to make the most of their experiences. However, we all have our down points.

I have noticed in strangers, friends, and yes, even myself, seven habits that I think make you a very ineffective expat. My rookie year in China is nearing a close, so I plan on making a New Year’s resolution of sorts to break these bad habits that I know I have, and I sure to not be alone in them.

Jun212009

16Comments

Posted By
Steven

Is Google Being Evil in China?

The Chinese government notoriously dislikes any organisation, particularly a foreign one, communicating directly to its people – so it’s little wonder that the story of Google in China has been one of jumping through fiery hoops. This week Google has been under attack in China over internet pornography, especially with regards its ‘search suggestions’ drop-down [...]

Jun152009

41Comments

Posted By
Ericka

An introduction to Jade – Feicui

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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.

Jun142009

17Comments

Posted By
Jalal

Riding the Chinese Railway: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

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 [...]

Jun062009

47Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Crazy bus fire in Chengdu

The #1 reason I don’t ride the bus (actually #1 is over-crowding – but fuck). Warning: Probably not best to watch this if you are sensitive to rather terrifying images and people screaming. Update June 7, 2009 Here are a few links putting the video in context. What Lessons Can We Learn from the Chengdu [...]

Jun042009

36Comments

Posted By
Ryan

SixFour Thoughts

I’ve been debating with myself today about putting together a post on that topic which has the brass in Beijing with their gitch in a twitch. In truth, I’m a bit muddled on where I sit with the issue. On one side we seem to have Western activists shaking their fists and demanding action, recognition, [...]

Jun022009

32Comments

Posted By
Ryan

Twitter & Flickr blocked ahead of Tiananmen’s 20th

Tweets are filling my screen with reports that Twitter.com and Flickr.com are both inaccessible in Mainland China. They join YouTube, as well as WordPress and Blogger blogs as the latest casualties in the Great Firewall of China’s war against free speech. Undoubtedly the blocks are in an effort to curb online commentary and the dissemination [...]

Jun022009

NoComments

Posted By
Lost Laowai

Photo: After the Harvest

A stunning photo from Longsheng, Guangxi, by Swiss photographer Peter Luginbuehl. I don’t often select portrait-aspects for the Featured Photos section for the simple reason that they don’t fit right in the display (lame, I know) – but I couldn’t resist this one. The composition’s three distinct layers give it a great perspective.