Expat Life

Lost Laowai in 9 Languages

Lost Laowai can now instantly be translated into any of nine different languages, courtesy of Google's translation service.

It's robomatic, and so isn't fantastic, but for any Laowai out there having trouble with navigating the site, it may prove useful. Currently you can translate any page on the site into: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and, of course, Chinese.

Stop the flickr Block

Sometime near the start of June 2007 the servers that host flickr's images was blocked in the People's Republic of China. Access to the main flickr site is fine, but the photos don't display.

Enter Firefox and the Access Flickr plugin.

Guide To China Communications

Though images of rice paddies being tended to by sun-weathered farmers and their oxen might still creep to mind with the mention of 'China', rest assured technology has very definitely arrived. With the exception of the most remote villages of China's vast rural areas, mobile phones and the Internet are everywhere.

Local Transport in China

One of the cheapest, most exhilarating forms of entertainment in the People's Republic has to be the country's local transportation. For a single yuan you can synthesis what it is to be canned fish with a trip on the city bus, and for only a handful more you can gain a new respect for life as a cabbie reenacts scenes from Bullitt while casually questioning you about what country you're from and how much your salary is.

The major forms of local transportation in China are busses, taxis, motorcycle taxis, and mini taxis. In the larger cities, this is supplemented with modern light-rails and subway systems. What follows is a brief description of each.

Chinese Booze

The cause of and solution to many of the problems faced while in China, the various alcohols found on tap in the Middle Kingdom are as abundant as they are varied. From China's staple baijiu, to the widely-available domestic brand beers and wines, there is no shortage of firewater to either complement or replace a meal with.

Note: By no means does Lost Laowai endorse excessive drinking; live it - perhaps, endorse it - no.

No-nonsense China Expat Community