CHINA
Country Overview:
“Love the food, hate the government”
I arrived in China in May 2013 and left August 2020. I taught English for awhile, did my master’s of politics & foreign policy at Tsinghua University, worked for a year at China Today, and then two years at Xinhua News Agency. I spent most of my time in Beijing, but also traveled to Shanghai, Wuhan, Inner Mongolia, Shenzhen, Panjin, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Xi’an, Sanya, Macau, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Duolingo Haiku Contest
While updating the app, I noticed they were having a contest asking for submissions of a haiku about why I was learning a different language. Here are my two submissions:
1. There's a girl I love
But she only speaks Chinese
#languagebarriers
2. Learning Italian
Because I've always wanted
To talk with my hands
As someone who is trying to learn how to write Chinese characters, I can say that this guy was killing it
Not to mention he is writing them upside down. He was a street beggar and this is definitely a way to get attention.
I’ve been going through this “phrase a day” thing and came across this entry
When asked “Are you married?” Chinese people don’t reply “No”, they say, “Not yet” which is such a Chinese thing to say. So many Chinese people have an expectation to get married. Notice the affirmative answer as well, “I’m already married”, as in “Yes I’ve already achieved this and don’t need to worry about it anymore”.
Chinese Proverb
Drinking with a dear friend, a thousand shots are too few; talking with a disagreeable person, half a sentence is too many
My 9 year olds gave me this before they left for vacation
Still have no idea what it means. Anybody know Chinese?
I looooove ‘Holiydays’… At first I thought they were trying to be clever, but after thinking about it for a good 5 seconds, I realized they just can’t spell. Happy 2014 from Beijing!!
Close but not quite...
Student 1: I am happy!
Student 2: I am angry!
Me: What am I?
Student 3: You are Chinese boy!
Didn't see that one coming