Online chat groups being monitored. Cameras watching your every move. This isn’t the novel 1984, this is just modern life… in both China and the west. So don’t be so surprised when robots make their way into the modern surveillance state. The question is: just how benevolent is this little robotic minion?
Read MoreThis one… ummm, doesn’t seem like an accurate depiction of office life, we gotta say. (Unless maybe there’s a team building karaoke trip going on here, and it only LOOKS like an office scene…)
Read MoreThis is how a third grader imagines office life to be. Not so off the mark, maybe?
Read MoreOK, did we mention that this dialog was written by a third grader? Yeah, it might not be the most “realistic” portrayal of office life in China, but it did give us a chuckle…
Read MoreThe Upper Intermediate (B2) Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK is now available in print form. Learn a bit more about what’s included here (and what’s not).
Read MoreNow the question is: how does a third grader know anything about this salve-like “you can’t go home” version of overtime that does really happen in China?
Read MoreAh, a return to “face mask humor.” (You know you missed it!) We’re definitely fans of this creative use of the medium (although it may be harder to type than to handwrite).
Read MoreIt seems that a third grader has a pretty firm grasp on the adult workplace. What is work, after all, if not incessantly searching for a few safe minutes to catch a nap?
Read MoreIt’s funny… we find ourselves identifying 100% with this gradeschooler scenario of forgetting how to write a Chinese character! Comic by 小A in Shanghai.
Read MoreYou know the “post-vacation withdrawal syndrome“ is a real thing when there’s even a word in Chinese for it! 假期后遗症 (jiàqī hòuyízhèng) is that word, and it’s only now starting to fade in China.
Read MoreAlthough Shanghai has remained relatively safe and stable during this whole “time of COVID,” in early 2021, there were a few new cases of COVID reported, and even a case where part of an office building was shut down.
Read MoreThis use of “flag” is a great example of the Chinese people taking an English word and making it their own as part of modern slang. You didn’t expect to have to relearn English to learn Chinese, did you??
Read MoreIf you ever talk about movies with Chinese friends (and CNY holiday has traditionally been a popular movie-watching time), make sure that you know the word 剧透 (jùtòu)!
Read MoreChinese New Year (AKA CNY, AKA 春节, AKA 过年) is a time when pretty much everyone in China goes back to their hometowns to spend the holiday with family. Not so this year! Thanks to COVID, it is unfortunately super 麻烦 (máfan).
Read MoreBonuses are a part of many companies’ salary structures, but in China they’re especially common, since a “13th month” of pay (right before Chinese New Year) is the norm.
Read MorePeople playing mobile games at work?? Don’t act so shocked. It’s a common occurrence in the PRC for sure. Although there are tons of different mobile games that people play, we chose 王者荣耀 (Wángzhě Róngyāo) because it’s been so popular for so long.
Read MoreAh yes, the Chinese word 八卦 (bāguà): it’s a noun, it’s a verb, it’s a kind of “news” that doesn’t really have any value. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t follow it religiously!
Read More教词汇，我们会建议选择水平合适，实用的词汇。这一次疫情再次爆发，讨论的时候会讨论哪些呢？
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