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As I blogged before, Chinese is really creative to invent some new special occasions (click here for my previous blog). And today 11th November is Guang Gun Jie (Singles Day or One’s Day) in China, not acknowledged by the government but well received by the public. Guang Gun is the nick name in Chinese for a single.
Why is today? Simple, 11.11. Can you find another day with more 1? Read More…
While the arguments about Lou Jing, the Shanghai Black Girl is still hot in town (see my previous blog about Lou Jing), a 20 year old Shanghai girl gave a birth to a Black Baby whose father is still unknown this month Read More…
Drying clothes out of the windows in public might be one of the unique things made in Shanghai. Because of the limited living space, Shanghainese has invented lots of clothes drying ranks to allow them to make the best use of the space out of the window on the wall.
Whenever there is a nice shining day, bed sheets, quilt covers, clothes are everywhere in the air above your head especially in the old local residential blocks. The government has put a lot of efforts to educate people to give up this tradition because hanging clothes in public is considered as an uncivilised thing which should be abandoned. Read More…
Today, on my way to catch the train to Nanjing, I took this interesting photo. Read More…
There is a good tradition in my office that is after a business travel, we usually bring a local speciality back to the office for sharing.
David, who has just back from the trip to Europe, brought a box of Mint Chocolate. And then interesting things happend!
All the foreign colleagues just loved it and told David that they had wanted the mint chocolates for a long time. Read More…
Today during the lunch time, the mums in my office were talking about what gifts they gave to their children’s teachers for the Teachers’ Day.
Then I suddenly realised that today is Teachers’ Day in China (10th September). (Sorry that I haven’t been to schools for ages).
Then I asked why the parents have to give gifts to the teachers because I think cards or flowers are enough to do the job. I remember that I wrote a card to my teachers when I was in school. Read More…
Summer is always a hot season for various TV reality talent contests in China. Oriental Angel is one of them.
Basically Oriental Angel is a China’s Got Talent for girls only by Shanghai Media Group (SMG). Contestants not only have to bring their own special talent but also have to demonstrate some serious acting skills.
But Lou Jing, one of the five Shanghai finalists of Oriental Angel caused a controversial debate in Shanghai. Read More…
Tom, my friend from Beijing was with me in a taxi in Shanghai. At a junction, the driver asked ‘big turn or small turn’. I then said ’small turn’, please.
After getting off the taxi, Tom asked me what I meant by small turn?
OK, I actually spoke with the taxi driver in mandarin which is the standard spoken language in China. As a Beijinger, how come he couldn’t understand? Read More…
First of all, Valentine’s Day is not a tradition in China. But why we are talking about Qi Xi (pronounced as Chee Shee), Chinese Valentine’s day?
With the open door policy in China, young Chinese were influenced by western cultures, for example, celebrating the Christmas and the Valentine’s Day. Then there were some debates arguing why young Chinese were so keen on those imported cultures but ignoring the long and grand history of China? Read More…
The news said the Civil Affair Offices in Shanghai are expecting long queues for registration of marriage on 9th September this year again like last year 8th August. Why?
9th September 2009 - 2009 9.9
In Chinese, the numbers are pronounced similar with the words Love you forever! (2 = AI, means love, 9= JIU, means forever, count how many 9s in this date. Three!) Read More…