Tag Archives: chinese
The Wife of Bag
The other day, I was in the staffroom with Lily and Jackie talking about our families. One of the great things about Mandarin is the ability to explain family relationships. I don’t have to call Scep my semi-brother, there is … Continue reading
Chinese Nascar
Stick, this is for you and your folks: This is a man on the bus wearing a Jeff Gordon jacket! I wish my Chinese was good enough to know if he spoke a rural or city dialect.
Lao Wei Who?
There are no knock-knock jokes in China. I thought that the Interrupting Cow and “Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana?” would be fun for my wee ones, who are getting a little frustrated with the sometimes-silent K. First, I … Continue reading
Alien Abduction
My contract promises me the chance to teach 12- to 18-year-olds, but it doesn’t expressly forbid me from teaching other ages. Ji asked me to teach a “demo lesson” for a few young children. “What’s a demo lesson?” I asked. … Continue reading
Traditional Greetings
After almost a month, I can find my way around kai fa qu, but as I walk to my school, the post office, the cheap vegetable market, the only store in town with refridgerated eggs, and so forth, literally everyone … Continue reading
Evil Language
Mandarin Chinese reminds me of my ex-boyfriend. I mean, it’s so complicated and confusing, there are a few rules but no one really understands why it does those things it does. Sometimes westerners are attracted to Mandarin, but after struggling … Continue reading
Chinese Etiquette
Last night was Calvin’s farewell dinner because he’s leaving to go home to Wales. We went to eat with our boss, her husband, some of their family, some parents of our students and their assorted family. Once we’re all gathered, … Continue reading
Qing mei zhu ma
Mandarin has a separate word for older sister and younger sister. There is a difference between an aunt who’s your mom’s sister, and one who’s married to your uncle, between an uncle on your mom’s side and an uncle on … Continue reading
Chinese Food
I can’t even begin to describe my culture shock! There’s a market near my new home in Yantai full of stands selling fruit, noodles, vegetables, breads, dumplings, seafood and any other kind of food you can imagine. For a few … Continue reading
Arriving in China
When I arrived in Yantai, after thirty-some hours in transit (and yes, wandering the Beijing airport wondering if I made a huge mistake DOES count as transit time), I was not met by Ji (my new boss) or the promised … Continue reading
