From Chinese Amazon. Like in the U.S., the book (Chinese edition) has already become the No. 1 seller on Amazon here, with the English version at No. 3, ahead of the Oct. 24 release. For those who can’t wait that long, I saw a street vendor selling a bootleg copy (or maybe a leaked real […]
Two-and-a-half years after I saw them last play in person, the Dookies still stir up some feeling of contempt and hatred within me. There they were last night, a whole new class of players, in Beijing of all places! I wore a white top with a light blue skirt and proudly stuck a Tarheel sticker […]
New York is turning into Beijing! From the Times: People did what they had to do. They sat through movies they did not really want to see. They walked around without shirts beneath umbrellas. Tony Gonzalez, a Manhattan doorman and restaurant repairman, had taken two showers by midday and planned on taking six or seven. […]
A few weeks ago, I wished for decent goi cuon, the delicious, wonderfully fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. This is a summer staple in my family, and my mother made me all jealous and homesick when she told me they were making some on their beach holiday with a bunch of family friends. But HA. Enter […]
China’s rising cost of living has been dominating the news lately, if not overseas, then definitely domestically. First-half figures just released show that food prices alone jumped more than 11 percent over the first six months last year. When I first came to Beijing, my shao bing jia ji dan was 1.5 kuai; it’s now […]
Just had this conversation with my friend on MSN: Friend: just now I thought my pc was being manipulated by some rotten eggs Me: [confused] it stinks? Friend: the mouse didn’t work Me: how does that relate to rotten eggs Friend: but the pc operated on its own Friend: bad guys Me: [enlightenment] ohhhh Me: […]
I’m a big fan of Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” The lyrics are stupid, sure, but now they can become a learning experience! This guy Dawen has translated the song into Chinese. How’s this for the ultimate blend of East and West? I especially like how he translated Rebecca Black’s name into Li Bei Ka, the transliteration […]
Today’s comparison: Number of prisoners. You’ll hear a lot about the people China puts in its prisons (mainly because we are morally outraged by these “crimes”). To many unenlightened people, China is a scary place — Big Brother and all that. While, yes, you can get put in jail seemingly on a whim, and your good […]
Well, I am the daughter of Chinese parents, which I think gives me some sort kind of authority on this issue. The opinion article by Amy Chua, which came with the incendiary headline, “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” appeared Jan. 8 — almost two weeks ago — right before her memoir from which the article […]
I’m going home in 3 days! I can’t wrap my head around not having been State-side in more than a year. But alas, I’ll be home for Christmas in one of the most anticipated Christmases in the Yueh family history. My to-do list: Presents. Check! All bought. Money. Check! Converted. (Side note: a shit load of […]