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This was an interesting watch/listen/read - whether from a learning Chinese-language perspective or a cultural perspective - there are both English and simplified Chinese subtitles. The guy in the video speaks Mandarin at a very nice pace and very clearly ( Read more... )

A while back, I posted about the lip-syncing at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Basically 9 year old 林妙可 Lin Miao Ke was selected for her looks over 7 year old 楊沛宜 Yang Pei Yi but 楊沛宜 Yang Pei Yi's voice was used for the ceremony. Uncharitable comments were made that little 楊沛宜 Yang Pei Yi had a round face, that she had crooked ( Read more... )

We got up this morning at 7am - after having gone to bed at way past 3am. The reason? I have no idea why, but I was convinced the removalists were coming on Wednesday. It wasn't until 1.30am that the Canadian said: "Hmm, are you sure they're not coming on Tuesday?" My heart sank when I realised he was right so we ran around like headless chickens ( Read more... )

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The Canadian and I are in 嘉峪关 Jiayuguan now (more about it when we get back to Beijing), but one bizarre thing is our hotel room in this town. ( Read more... )

I just got back to Beijing from a week-long visit to Canberra last week. We'll be returning for good in August. It was a very long flight both ways - the plane to Australia was delayed for three hours and the plane on the way back was held over in Shanghai for two hours. ( Read more... )

I found out today that Bananas in Pyjamas in Chinese is 香蕉兄弟 - the Banana Brothers. Good grief!


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I'm told that Chinese women don't like to disclose that they are pregnant within the first three months of pregnancy. Nonetheless, every time one of my colleagues falls pregnant, it's easy to know because she IMMEDIATELY starts wearing a radiation-proof pregnancy smock so the computer won't harm her baby. They look a little bit like what you wear ( Read more... )

The weather has been rather nuts today. When I left, it was just starting to look a little ominous so I made sure I brought my umbrella with me. By 11.30am though, when I looked out my window - the world seemed to have gone completely black.( Read more... )

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