ishiyou-blog

[ishiyou-blog]

We've Moved!

Dear Friends,

Alas, it is time to retire the Ishiyou name. We will be migrating our posts from this blog to our new one in Koombah.  We thank you all for your devoted following and will continue to post new material about our China experiences as well as news about our upcoming website. In addition, we invite you to like us on Facebook. Stay tuned!

- Koombah 

[ishiyou-blog]

Chinese Apps Worth Downloading

Since the worldwide acceptance of smartphones, technology has been rapidly establishing new frontiers in the mobile market, and China is no exception. One thing I've observed about the Chinese is, whether riding on a subway alone, or sitting at a dinner table with friends, their faces are buried in the small screen of their iPhones. Chinese tech companies are certainly aware of the rising trend of mobile marketability and have created apps to improve the lives of its citizens. Here are a couple Chinese apps that I find myself constantly using. (Warning: some of these apps are not all foreigner-friendly and do require some familiarity of Chinese)   

WeChat (微信)

Formerly (and still locally) known as Weixin, WeChat by Tencent acts as an alternative to traditional SMS but packed really cool additional features. One of my favorite features is the "talk" button where you press and hold a button to send a voice message to your contact. When both you and your contact use this function, WeChat turns into a walkie-talkie (or a poor man's phone) for communication. Another neat feature that WeChat offers is multi-contact texting, a very big missing feature in regular SMS. Once you establish who you want to send a message to, WeChat will create a chat room for you and your multiple contacts to message each other. WeChat can also link to your phone contacts list, Facebook, and QQ account to automatically recommend friends also using this app.  WeChat only requires wireless or 3G (and doesn't use much data) and best of all, able to chat internationally.

Baidu Map

Anywhere else in the world, I would easily choose Google Maps as my go-to GPS. However, because this is China, locating your destination on Google Maps rarely yields accurate results. I'm guessing this is an issue with their bad 关系 (relationship) with the PRC, but many of the destinations Google Maps pinpoints is actually 300-600 meters off its actual location. This is particularly annoying if you have no idea what your surroundings are. Thus, I prefer to use Baidu Maps, which offers the same functions as Google (public transit, driving and walking directions). The one drawback with this app is that it's almost entirely in Chinese. Road maps and directions are in Chinese and inputting your destination requires Hanzi's or at least some correct pinyin spelling. So while it's not as foreigner-friendly, at least you can safely assume that the the destination is accurately pinpointed and will get you where you need to go. 

Baidu Music

China is notorious for bootlegging but has been taking steps toward clearing its name. Officially named Baidu 音乐 (Music) over here, China's music service is free and apparently legal. Provided that you're located in China and have a Chinese IP, it's all fair game. Baidu Music allows users to stream Chinese music as well as Western hits. If you really like the song, you can download it with the press of a button to listen offline. And If you feel like singing along with the song, Baidu Music provides dynamic lyrics to do that. Since I've been here in China, I've slowly made a nice collection of music through this app, guilt-free. If you enjoy listening to music but hate feeling like a pirate, why not take advantage while in Mainland?    

Weibo

With the majority of China's youth glued to their smartphones these days, it's no surprise that SNS's have put a lot of effort into developing slick mobile apps to accompany their desktop counterparts. Such is the case with Sina's Weibo mobile app. With available versions on iPhone, Android and Blackberry, Weibo mobile allows you to seamlessly update your followers through your phone just as you would on a  computer. Weibo also allows you to check-in and share your current location with friends as well as see who else is in the vicinity. So whether you're in a cafe, a popular restaurant or the Great Wall of China, Weibo allows you to shout out to the 1.3 billion audience members where you are. Another feature on the mobile app is the Instagram-like ability to put various types of filters on the pictures you take, in case you feel like sharing photos and putting a pseudo-vintage spin on it. Weibo is probably the most used Chinese app in China.

-Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

Popular Sites Blocked in China & Their Alternatives

As a foreigner living in China, inconvenience comes as part of the package, especially regarding to the internet. Without paying for a VPN to surf the web in Mainland, you'll notice that the internet just feels different, major and minor. A major difference is that some websites are completely inaccessible. A slightly more subtle difference is that social-sharing functions are embedded all over websites these days and with some of them being blocked outright, webpages tend to have some broken links. Here are a few major websites that didn't make it past the Great Firewall of China

Facebook

Most expats will find this to be more than an inconvenience. Because many of us are so connected to each other through social networks services, Facebook arguably the most popular amongst them, you may feel like a there's a void left in your life. China's government is pretty keen on controlling the masses and "protecting" them from any harmful material. And these days, with news breaking faster on an SNS like Facebook with positive and negative reactions that follow, it only seems logical for the CPC to quarantine a website like Facebook to maintain balance in the realm public opinion. If Facebook is your main method of staying in touch with friends and family, then China will not be a friendly place for you.  

Alternatives: Skype, E-mail, Tencent Weibo, Sina Weibo, Renren    

Twitter

I personally don't have a Twitter account because it seems cluttered and unorganized compared to Facebook and full of pointless hashtags. But I'm well aware that this is the other SNS titan that can cause major problems in the Chinese media department. With tweets from famous and regular people becoming instantly posted on a user's feed, this can be very difficult for the government to control, especially if a scandal were to break out. Therefore the simple solution is to block it outright. Fortunately, micro-blogging has gained massive popularity and China offers domestic Twitter-clones, such as Sina Weibo. In fact, many non-Chinese celebrities have Weibo accounts to further reach the Chinese population. There are some drawbacks though as these websites are all in Chinese and can be exhausting to read or translate. Also sensitive subjects should be handled with caution, or probably not even mentioned.

Alternatives: Tencent Weibo, Sina Weibo

Youtube

I'm not sure why a video-sharing site would be blocked here. Perhaps it's because Youtube is owned by Google, but since 2009, the world's most popular video-sharing platform has been blacked out in China. This is a big problem for me because Youtube has always been a useful site to waste time and watch hilarious clips. Youtube's blockage is an interesting case however. Without access to funny clips of internet sensations, Chinese video-sharing sites offer a major consolation prize: full episodes and seasons of TV shows. Provided that your IP address is a Chinese one, you can watch great quality streams of many of popular American TV series without paying a fee on Hulu (which you also can't access anyway).

Alternatives: Youku, Tudou, Funshion

Google Drive

The struggle continues between Google and the PRC because anything launched by Google is abruptly blocked here. Google Docs, a cloud-based collaboration tool that allows user's to share and maintain documents is apparently a threat to harmony in Mainland China. A more probable reason is to prevent Google from thriving in China and snatch up some market share. Google Drive's blockage clears the way for domestic products like Baidu's Wangpan, which offers 5 times the storage space of Drive's basic offering with 15 GB. If the Chinese clone does not interest you, there are other English alternatives that offer the same basic cloud storage function. 

Alternatives: Wangpan, Dropbox, Microsoft SkyDrive, Box.net

-Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

Koombah is Live (Sorta)

Dear Friends,

Thank you all so much for your devoted following. Sorry we've been posting so sparingly as of late. So what have we been up to? In short, we've been working tirelessly to create our website. Besides writing what was hopefully an entertaining and informational blog about living in China, the original goal of our blog is, and was always to promote to our housing service.

After almost a year of borderline slave labor and sleepless nights, we are proud to announce that our site is now up and running. Here are some quick notes about the launch:

We have changed our name to Koombah. Why the change? The word Koombah is derived from the word Kuumba, which means "creativity" in Swahili. When used in context to the African American holiday Kwanzaa, the meaning is "To do always, as much as we can, in the best way we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we left it." In the same way, we hope to make the same kind of impact through our service.

So when we say that Koombah is sorta live, we mean that this is an interim site. We will eventually be developing the site over the course of time. For now though, we are still fielding inquiries and you can read more about us. In fact, if you live in Beijing and need help looking for housing, go ahead and contact us!

Just because we are live now doesn't mean we will stop blogging.We've enjoyed sharing with those not living in China and have enjoyed commiserating with those that are. We'll continue blogging to share with you our insights on China and how to get by. We hope that you will continue reading. The blog will eventually be migrated over to a new domain though. Stay tuned.

With that, we present to you Koombah!

-Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

Beijing in Days of Summer

Finally the weather has warmed up in Beijing and we finally don't need to wrap ourselves up in layers of underwear and jackets. Instead we can freely wear shorts, slippers and sunglasses. To take advantage of the sun and warmth head to the various parks around Beijing. Chaoyang park is the biggest withe the most facilities including a mini theme park, man made beach and bicycle hire. JinShan behind Hou Hai is a more historical park with a fantastic view over the Forbidden City. It is also a very popular tourist spot. Ritan park in Jianguomen is another nice place to take a stroll or have a picnic. It is all flat so requires less effort to get around. There are many others but I haven't listed them all here. So get out and enjoy the good weather while it lasts. Jason

[ishiyou-blog]

How to Purchase Android Apps in China

If you're an owner of an Android phone in China, then you may be wondering why some apps cannot be found on the Google Play store (formerly known as the Android Market). More specifically, you can't find apps with an option to upgrade to a Pro version. In other words, you can't purchase Android apps in China. A mobile VPN won't even help. This is due in major part to the rocky relationship between Google and China. Because Google continually fails to abide by China's censorship laws, the CPC returns the favor by occasionally blocking Google products outright, including it's app store. If you're annoyed by this inconvenience and want to buy an app on your Android phone, fear not; there's a way to circumvent this.

I should be a little more clear about purchasing apps in China. As long as there's a Chinese SIM card in your Android phone, you cannot purchase any apps. Therefore, the logical solution is, when you want to make a purchase, swap out your Chinese SIM card and insert a non-Chinese one. It could be any SIM card, active or inactive, 3G or no 3G. Of course you won't have any data access with an inactive SIM card in your phone. The next thing you need to have is a wireless connection. This could be with your home connection or at a cafe or even the free 20 minutes at McDonalds. Once you've followed these steps, the Google Play app store will return to normal and you'll have access to all apps, free or paid. And once you've downloaded what you want, just swap back in your China card and go about your day.

Basically, it's quite simple to bypass the blockage so long as you have the 2 essential items: a non-Chinese SIM card and access to a WI-FI connection. From my experience, after you've purchased an app, it will be able to get updates pushed on your phone without swapping SIM cards to do so. Hope this helps fellow oppressed Android users in China.

-Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

5 Inconveniences of China

As previously posted, China has its conveniences. However, there are numerous amounts of inconveniences when it comes to living here and they are annoying enough to affect your quality of life. Here are a few that will most likely occur during your stay here. 

1. Banks

Aside from not being English-friendly, banks will drive some expats insane. Most of China's transactions still involve handling massive loads of cash. This is particularly an issue when it comes to paying your rent. Instead of writing a check , you have to make a money transfer from your account to your landlord's. Sounds simple, but if you and your landlord have different banks, you're in for a giant headache. Chinese banks do not allow different banks to wire money from one account to another. This means that in order to pay rent, you must manually withdraw cash from your bank account, walk to another bank and manually deposit that amount to your landlords' account. This is can be done in two ways. The first is to wait in a typically 40-minute long line to get serviced by a teller to make the withdrawal. The alternative is to withdraw the cash by yourself at the ATM. The problem with this option is that ATMs can only spit out a maximum of 2,500 RMB at a time. Rent varies, but it's usually at least 15,000 RMB for 3 month payments. This means that you have to withdraw 6 times before you reach your amount. The same is true for making deposits so the total amount of cash transactions you'll be making is 12 times. And this doesn't include the fact that the machines will often reject banknotes if they are even slightly crumpled. Between making the cash transactions and walking to another bank to make the deposit, the whole ordeal takes about an hour depending on how busy the bank is the day you go. As if paying 3 month's worth of rent wasn't painful enough, the banks want to make sure you grow some gray hairs before you are done paying. (FYI, this is based on an actual experience)

2. Utilities

In China, nothing gets automatically deducted from your bank account to pay for things like water and electricity. Instead, you're presented with credit cards to pay for these utilities. You're probably wondering, "What am I supposed to do with these?". Basically, how you pay for utilities is take these cards to a payment machine in a bank and deposit money on it. For example, with the electricity card, you would deposit x amount of money on the card depending on how much electricity you want to have. Then take that card back and put into a machine outside your apartment door to replenish your electricity. That's quite a lot of effort for something that really shouldn't be. Banks usually close around 5 pm and if you have a full-time job in China, paying for utilities can be a real pain in the butt. And not all banks have these payment machines. To make matters worse, if you fail to pay for a utility such as electricity, it will just cut off on you altogether. Gas, electricity, water and sometimes internet all require you to do this and it's quite inconvenient. 

3. Transportation

There are 3 major modes of transportation in Beijing and they all make you wish you could fly. A big reason why is obviously because of the overpopulation of China. If you take a taxi, it's recommended that you carefully plan out your trips in advance so that you don't get caught up in traffic jam. If it takes 30 minutes to get to your destination through on the road, consider adding an extra 30 minutes to account for major traffic jams. On occasion, the freeway will turn into a parking lot and traffic flow will come to a grinding halt if it's really busy. Such an annoyance will deter you from taking taxi's or buses on those days.

Another option is the subway, but even that commute is a nightmare. Getting into a subway train is like packing as many sardines into a can, you being one of the sardines. Transferring to another subway line usually involves you participating in an overcrowded marathon. Depending on which line, it's not as simple as getting from point A to point B but rather, fighting your way out of a train, walk about a half-mile to the another line, and fighting your way into the next train.

Bus rides inherit a mix of the problems as taxi's and subways and adding a little bit more to your frustration. Not only are buses subjected to traffic and packed tight with people, but the passenger experience is equivalent to a roller-coaster ride. Maybe it's the way the buses are built, but sitting in one requires that you not be prone to motion sickness. That's because the bus driver wants to make sure you feel every single stop and go when you're inside. If you decide to go by bus, be sure that you can hold your lunch in.

4. Internet

The government heavily regulates the the world wide web, and it comes at the cost of foreigners living here long-term. In order to use popular social networking websites like Facebook and Youtube, you will need to pay Virtual Private Network service to climb the Great Firewall. It's possible to get by without one, but it sure hinders your daily experience, especially if you check Facebook likes you check the news. Also, internet speeds here aren't very impressive. Usual connection speed packages top out at around 2-4 Mbps which is barely enough to get by on websites that stream music or video. There is the option to have 10 Mbps service but you'll be shelling out a premium to have this installed. 

5. Air Quality

This is more than an inconvenience. It's just plain annoying. I simply can't let this go. The air quality here in Beijing is by far the worst I've ever experienced in my life. For what seems like 80% of the year, Beijing is covered in heavy smog that is depressingly unavoidable when going outside. When it's really bad, the smog will seep underground into the subway or in malls. You will see this when you notice that the air looks a bit grainy and unclear. Some people choose to wear masks but that only delays the inevitable. You know how rainy days can often deter you from wanting to go outside? Well in Beijing, an awfully polluted day is reason enough not to want to go out either. 

-Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

5 Conveniences of China

Make no mistake, compared to the other countries in Asia, China is not a convenient country to live in. For whatever reason, whether it's getting around town or paying for utilities, China seems to want to go out of their way to drive you up the wall in the process. I would, however like to point out a few (and I heavily emphasize few) perks about living in China. Some are more significant than others but they all help ease some of the frustrations that come along with living in a developing country.

1. Watching Movies

A year ago, upon arrival to China, I was afraid I would be out of touch with American media, especially films. Fast forward to the present, I've seen almost every major Hollywood movie released in the past year, as well as popular movies I never watched from the past decade. In fact, when I returned home recently, I found out that I've seen more Hollywood movies from 2011 while in China than my friends who actually live in America. Ironic indeed, but this is attributed to the fact that movies are simply more accessible in China than they are in America, albeit through illegal questionable methods. Yes, movies of all kinds can be found on the streets at the price of slightly more than an price of a can of Coke. You can pick up a movie on your way back from work from random vendors on the streets. And if paying is not your thing, there are multiple programs that allow you to stream and download DVD-quality movies to your computer creating yourself a nice collection in the process. Compare this to the effort needed to watch a movie in America where you need to go to the theaters and pay an unruly price ticket fee, thus making you a lot more selective in what you watch.        

2. Apartments Come Furnished

When looking for an apartment in the US, rooms often come empty, meaning you have to provide your own furniture when moving in. Heck, it's considered a luxury if an apartment came with a washer and dryer. In China, it's the exact opposite, with apartments being completely furnished, including couches, bed frames and even microwaves. This is a big deal for foreigners who don't have the time or the luxury of a driving around to buy their own and saving them lots of money if they don't plan to live here long-term. Granted, the furniture may not be in the best shape nor will it necessarily be to your liking. But landlords are aware of this and in order to close a deal with potential renters, will make a deal to buy completely new furniture for free. It's quite a convenience considering how much of a pain it is just to find housing in Beijing.

3. Food Delivery

When I think about restaurants that do delivery in America, I can only think of pizza and Chinese food. The idea of delivering Chinese food must have come from the motherland itself because just about any restaurant will do delivery here in China. That's right, not only pizza but even fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC, and Subway do delivery. In fact, many fast food chains have motorbikes parked outside ready to do delivery. As if eating fast food was unhealthy enough, getting it delivered to saves you the trip of even walking out the door. In terms of domestic food, Chinese restaurants will often leave a paper menu at your front door hoping that you order from them. Some Hot Pot restaurants even do delivery, bringing the meat and the soup base. All this comes at no cost to you other than the price of your order. That's because there's also...  

4. No Tipping

Coming from a country where gratuity is expected, it's a nice convenience to not have to tip, especially considering lack of quality in Chinese customer service. Whether you're at a restaurant, in a cab or at the barbershop, tipping not customary nor is it really even accepted. Gratuity is only reserved for upscale restaurants and hotels where a "surcharge" is tacked on to the bill. But these are sorts of places where only rich business people go to. So for the everyday expat, there is no need to calculate a standard 15% tip in your head when paying the waitress, bartender or taxi driver.   

5. Street Food

Back then, Snickers used the slogan, "Hungry? Why Wait?" in their ads. They must have been inspired by China because you never have to go too far for a quick bite. Think about the hot dog and pretzel stands you see in major metropolitan cities like New York and San Francisco and then multiply that by 100 (and subtract the hot dogs and pretzels) and you have a rough picture of the street food season in Beijing. Food stands appear at just about every corner of the streets, selling hot meals while you are waiting for your bus to arrive or right before you enter the subway station. Whether it's roasted sweet potatoes or Chinese pancakes, much of what they offer can be taken on the go. So if you really can't sit down for breakfast, grab something on the way to work. It may not be the healthiest (nor the most sanitary) option but in terms of convenience, it certainly makes life easier in China.   

-Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

5 Reasons Why Chinese New Year is Awesome

It's the most wonderful time of the year... for the Chinese. Falling some time between January and February, Chinese New Year, known in Mainland as Spring Festival, is considered the most important holiday of the calendar year for the Chinese. Spring Festival is also celebrated in neighboring Asian countries with big Chinese populations such as Vietnam and South Korea as well as Chinatowns across the world. The holiday emphasizes time with family, prosperity, and good luck. In a nutshell, Chinese New Year is like Thanksgiving, Christmas and 4th of July combined. As a Chinese American, I love this time of the year and I want to share with you what makes this holiday so memorable.

1. Big Family Feast

The best part of Chinese New Year in fact, is getting to see my family and the majority of my relatives for a big dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant. In Beijing, this marks a period where everyone leaves the city returns back to their hometown to have a family dinner on the first day of Spring Festival. In terms of the food, especially in Northern China, dumplings (饺子) are prepared and eaten as well glutinous rice balls (汤圆) to be eaten on New Years Eve. My personal favorite is CNY cake (年糕) which symbolizes prosperity. Whatever you eat, be sure to eat in the good company of your family. 

2. Lucky Money (红包)

I loved this when I was a kid. A Hongbao (literally "red bag") is a little red envelope containing money symbolizing good luck. Lucky money is given out by married couples and the elderly to unmarried family members younger than them. So the main beneficiary of this tradition was children. The amount in the red envelop can vary. From my experience, the closer the family member (i.e. Grandma), the more it would contain. However, if you have a big family and had dinner, you would normally conclude your night with a handsome stack of Lai See (Cantonese for lucky money). 

3. Fireworks

Mainland really knows how to celebrate with a bang. With light regulations, people are free to buy fireworks and set them off on the streets during CNY, especially the first and the last night. And I'm not talking about little sparklies either. I'm referring the the ones that only professionals are allowed to use if this were the States. In fact, a week or two leading up to the big day, fireworks shops set up shop throughout the city so residents can conveniently buy explosives. With the whole community participating, and even competing, the result is an impressive amateur pyrotechnic show that is as fun as it is dangerous. Not coincidentally though, the hospitals are open all night. 

4. Big Sales

Like the holiday season, there are massive sales going on around this time of the year. If there was something you wanted for a while, now is the time to buy it. I've seen some expensive items get their prices slashed as much as 60% off for the New Year. You will often see malls become very busy because of this. Many malls will also decorate their interior with lots and lots of red, which symbolizes a new year and a new beginning. In short, it's like having a 2-week Black Friday in January or February. 

5. Vacation

Because Chinese New Year is considered the most importantly holiday, workers in Mainland are given an entire week off. It is indeed a happy time for the Chinese who don't get the luxury to be with their family the majority of the year. It usually means a good time to rest up and recharge or go travel abroad if you're an expat. Just make sure you book your train or plane ticket in advance because this is an extremely busy travel time and tickets are really expensive if you don't plan ahead.

With that, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and a prosperous year of the Dragon. I hope you are looking forward to the festivities and spending time with your family as I am.

-Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

Thieves in China

Even before arriving to China, I've been warned about pickpockets. I've heard incidents from friends about their wallet, cell phones or cameras being stolen. Accordingly, I keep all my valuables close to me to be safe. But even then, I never really thought too much about these incidents except simply stories of bad luck. That was until the other day when I witnessed first-hand, a thief doing his dirty business. And this was not in a crowded place like a subway station. It took place out in the open. Here's how the scene went down:

It's around 9:30 PM. I get off the bus and walk the rest of the way home. Near where I live is a big intersection crosswalk located under a freeway overpass. I cross the street while a woman is crossing from the opposite side. Following her is a shifty looking young man who is walking in a very conspicuous manner which I notice immediately. As we cross paths, the young man starts aggressively inching closer to the woman. At first, I think it is some sort of joke until I see the man quickly reach out into the woman's right coat pocket and take what looks like a wallet. He immediately starts walking away in another direction and the poor lady probably won't realize her wallet was stolen until she gets home.

Unfortunately, I didn't do anything to actually deter the thief. I was shocked and in disbelief that something like this was actually happening. Like I said, I've only heard stories about thieves, but never actually witness an incident go down (and fortunately never been a victim). Upon reflection of what I saw, I do want to share some observations about the scene and why the thief was so successful.

Your Outerwear: Especially in the winter time, you really shouldn't put any valuables in your jacket or coat pockets. This was an easy access for the pickpocket. Seriously, keep your valuables close to you.

The Crosswalk: You are so focused on crossing the street without getting hit by a car. This was probably why the poor woman let her guard down.

The Overpass: With no shadows and a darker setting under here, you can't easily tell if someone is walking behind you. Therefore, it was an even easier opportunity for the thief.

Taking all this into account, thieves are actually (and unfortunately) quite artful in their craft. Factors like lighting and setting are probably well thought out by pickpockets. I guess this is what makes thieves so successful in China. I can now say that theft is real and very prevalent in China and you MUST be aware of your surroundings if you don't want to become a victim.

[ishiyou-blog]

You Know You're in China When...

Loogies are laid on sidewalk paths

It takes 25 mins to make it to one bus stop

Small animals are being sold on the streets for 10 RMB

Old people push you out of the way for a bus seat

"Fog" is forecasted every 2-3 days

You see poo on the street and you're not sure if it's from an animal or a baby

Traffic laws are mere guidelines for drivers

You need a VPN to access the best websites (including this one)

Someone falls on the ground and nobody bothers to help

Restaurants, restrooms, and almost any public facility smell like cigarettes

Crossing the street turns into a game of human Frogger

You can find a fake version of anything, including stores

Karaoke turns into 5-hour affairs

The best English-speaking Chinese are found in underground markets

Quality is not a recognized concept to anyone

It is acceptable to take an original idea, copy it 90% and call it your own

There is no such thing as personal space

English teachers are the most sought-after commodities in the job market 

Children aren't ever disciplined

Dating shows dominate the television programs

1.3 billion people (still) can't translate to 11 decent soccer players

Matching outfits with your significant other in public isn't considered tacky

Inefficiency is the motto

No one wears deodorant

The men are almost as feminine as the women

By: Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

Popular Foreigner-Friendly Areas in Beijing

Living in Beijing can be frustrating at times. You could argue that the Chinese food all tastes the same. You could say that the night life is boring and uneventful and doesn't suit your taste. Here are some places to visit where you can escape that feeling of being an outsider to be among those who share your sentiment.

Sanlitun (三里屯)

By far the most popular destination of the bunch, Sanlitun offers many non-Chinese restaurants and bars that will surely satisfy homesick expats. Sanlitun is located in Beijing's Chaoyang District and is a major hub for foreigners, young and old. The main spot where you will find a blend of foreigners is Sanlitun Village, an outdoor shopping plaza with plenty of venues surrounding it. To the right of the village is a bar street for night-time fun. To the left of the Village is Ya Show, a popular market to bargain for cheap counterfeit clothing and other goods. Knowing Mandarin is not necessary as the Chinese sellers here have probably the best English skills throughout Beijing. I've even heard them speaking a little French and Spanish. If you venture further out in the vicinity, there's Beijing Worker's Stadium (北京工人体育管) which is surrounded by popular nightclubs and bars. If you are bored of Chinese life, come here to escape for a day (or even a night).

Wudaokou (五道口)

Located on the north west side of Beijing in the Haidian District, Wudaokou is close to a number of universities and institution and therefore holds a dense population of students. One institution in particular, Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) is attended by many foreign students coming to learn the Chinese. Because of the overwhelming international student demographic, there are many bars and nightclubs to cater to their outgoing lifestyles, and at much cheaper rates than those in upscale Sanlitun. In these bar clubs, you will find both local and foreign students mingling on the dance floor. Outside of clubbing, many cafes and cheap restaurants that appeal to foreigners are peppered all over Wudaokou. While it's true that this place seems more suited for students than young adults, for cash-strapped foreigners, Wudaokou is a much cheaper offering than other neighborhoods in Beijing and recommended if you happen to live near the area.

Liangmaqiao (亮马桥)

Liangmaqiao is a very affluent part of Beijing. It's located in the Chaoyang District and because it's home to many foreign embassies, you will surely see a lot of foreign faces. One place where you will surely find expats is Solana Mall, an outdoor style mall with stores like American Eagle, Cold Stones and Starbucks. The affluence of this area is reflected in its amount of pricey foreign restaurants that cater to foreigners. The Liangmaqiao neighborhood is also home to Chaoyang Park, Beijing's largest park and the locale of beach volleyball matches during the 2008 Olympics. Here, you will find fun leisurely things to do such as bike riding and boating. And for good measure, there's a Jenny Lou's (Beijing's premiere foreign grocery store) located in Liangmaqiao.

Lido (丽都)

Lido is a neighborhood located in the Chaoyang district, neighboring Wangjing. You can tell right away that this is a foreigner zone with all foreigner restaurants peppered all around the neighborhood. In fact, there are even blocks in Lido where it's almost exclusively foreign restaurants. If you're interested, the 798 Art Zone is not too far away. 798 is an interesting district in Beijing where the entire area is an old factory complex that has been renovated as, you guessed it, an art zone. It's a great place to observe modern art and to take pictures around the interesting structures in the district. Among the most notable restaurants to try in Lido is Peter's Tex-Mex Grill, Salt and Gung Ho! Pizza. In addition, Lido Place, a mini plaza within the area seems to be 80% foreigners. With shops like Baskin Robbins and Starbucks located in there, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Sanyuanqiao (三元桥)

Although not as apparent as the others, I would consider Sanyuanqiao a very foreigner-friendly part of Beijing. Because of its proximity to Liangmaqiao and all its embassies, the expat community naturally flows into Sanyuanqiao. It is also home to the ultra-popular Kro's Nest pizza restaurant, which has attracted many foreigners by itself. In addition, perhaps one of the reasons why you will see many foreign faces here is because Sanyuanqiao's subway station is also one of 2 stations with access to the Airport Express, making it a busy hub for travelers. Also, be sure to check out Metro nearby. Metro is a Costco-style warehouse for foreign foods and goods.

By: Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

Useful Classifiers When Speaking Chinese

When speaking English and asking for water, you don't say "May I please have a water", but rather "May I please have a cup of water." Alternatively, you can use glass or bottle depending on the situation. Similarly in Chinese, measure words are used to classify the object that you are talking about. But the difficult thing about Chinese use is that there seems to be more than a hundred different kinds of measure words to describe things. As a foreigner speaking Chinese, you probably don't have the time or the dedication to remember so many different classifiers, so here is a list of common ones to help you sound less like a laowai.

Ge/个 - General

This is the jack of all trades measure word. If you're unsure about what is the proper classifier to use, always refer back to this one. In general, you can use it for individual things or for people

na ge ren hen gao, 那个男人很高, That man is tall

zhi ge dongxi you wenti, 这个东西有问题, This thing has a problem

Fen/份 - Portions, Dishes of Food

Good to use when ordering food at restaurants. Just add 份 before whatever dish you want to order.

wo yao yi fen chaofan, 我要一份炒饭, I would like a plate of fried rice

Bei/杯 - Beverages

Used when you're talking about a drink. The word itself literally means "cup".

wo men yao liang bei bing nai cha, 我们要两杯冰奶茶, We want 2 cups of iced milk tea

Jian/件 - Clothes, Business

When talking about clothes at the mall or having an issue you need to take care of, use this measure word. Interestingly, you can NOT use this when talking about hats because that alone has its own classifier.

Zhe jian yifu tai gui le, 这件衣服太贵了, This shirt is too expensive

Wo you yi jian shi yao zuo, 我有一件事要做, I have something I need to take care of

Yang/样 - Describing Attributes

Used when you want to express the way something should look or the way something should be done.

Zhe yang ba: ni xian qu, ran hou wo yihuir lai pei ni, 这样吧:你先去,然后我一会儿来陪你, How about this: you go first, and I will accompany you later.

Ci/次 - Times

One of the times when you can't use "ge". A simple measure word to quantify simple instances or occurrences.

Wo gei ni da dian hua san si ci, dan shi ni hai mei you jie, 我给你打电话三四次了,但是你没有接, I called you 3-4 times but you still haven't picked up the phone.

Xie/些 - Some

Use this when you want to clarify that something has a quantity of more than one. Note that when you use this, it acts as a substitute for any classifier, no matter what you're talking about.

Na xie you piaoliang you pianyi, 那些裤子又漂亮又便宜, Those pants are both great looking and cheap.

Chang/场 - Games

The classifier on it's own can mean sporting fields. It is normally used to describe a match, usually in sports.

na chang qiu sai da de hen li hai le, 那场球赛打得很厉害了, That match was played furiously. 

Ben/本 - Books

Simple enough to understand, use this measure word when referring to books, periodicals, etc. 

Zhe ben shu cong tushuguan jie de, 这本书是我从图书馆借的, I borrowed this book from the library

By: Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

Fun Ways to Learn Chinese

Classes and textbooks aren't the only way to study a language. In fact, those options are often expensive and time consuming. If you're an expat with no time to sit down and study, here are some fun and practical ways to learn Chinese (sometimes without even knowing it). 

Karaoke

Areas helped: vocabulary, reading, comprehension

Singing Chinese songs is not only a fun way to impress your Chinese friends, but a great way to help you learn Chinese in the process. It's a little overwhelming at first with all the hanzi's you don't recognize or know how to say, but give it time and you will find it's not that different from memorizing a song in your own language. The best way to learn is to pick a song that you think sounds nice or is short and then find out what the lyrics mean. Once you learn each verse and chorus line's meaning, the hanzi combos will make much more sense in your head, and thus will be easier to memorize. Many of the most popular songs are slow ballads so they are relatively easy to learn line by line. From all the songs I've practiced singing, I've picked up many words and phrases to add to my lexicon that I would've taken forever to learn and memorize otherwise.   

Chat/Text Message

Areas helped: reading, grammar

Because writing is no longer an absolute necessity to pick up these days, SMS and chatting is where you can learn to recognize hanzis. It's also very practical because you will more than likely have a Chinese contact or 2 while being here. Texts and chat conversations I have with my Chinese friends are usually never too complicated to understand without a Google translation. Assuming you have a fair understanding of pinyin, input method programs should carry you the rest of the way, coming up with possible combos for every pinyin you type. Throughout the process of chatting, you will pick up grammar structure and how phrases are used in daily life. Do yourself a favor and get a QQ account so you can start chatting with your Chinese friends.   

Watch TV

Areas helped: listening, culture, reading

It seems a little daunting at first because you don't understand anything that's going on, but with enough time and you will subconsciously be familiarizing your ears with words and sentences and its context. Like with singing songs, pick a TV program that you think seems interesting, like a drama series or the even cartoons. If the show holds enough interest to you, you will find yourself wanting to know what the program characters are saying. Also, take note of the Chinese subtitles included in every show so that you can practice recognizing hanzis as well. In my case, I enjoyed watching the Chinese broadcast of the NBA. Besides simply watching, I tried to relate the words spoken with the situation to get a better sense of context. Pretty soon after, I learned a good amount of phrases and idioms in the realm of sports. Now imagine what you can learn just from watching regular TV programs.

Talk!

Areas helped: speaking, listening, culture, grammar

If you have enough vocabulary and basic sentence structure under you belt, go ahead and give it a try. Talk to the stranger at the bar and introduce yourself. That stranger will probably want to know where you're from and why you came to China which will surely open up a conversation and thus an opportunity to practice. If you're here for work and/or have Chinese colleagues or roommates, don't just use your English exclusively to talk. They won't make fun of you if you have horrible Chinese because their English is probably just as bad. In fact, coworkers and flatmates are probably the best way to learn some free Chinese because they can teach you how to use words and sentences in the right context. They will often use a lot of slang and colloquialisms in daily life that you can pick up and use as well. I've often got into some hilarious conversations with coworkers on a number of topics ranging from Chinese history to dating, all the while improving the fluency of my Chinese.

By: Stanley

[ishiyou-blog]

Thanksgiving in Another Country

So this will mark the first time ever that I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving without my family or old friends. It's a particularly tough time of the year to be away from home. Like the 4th of July, Thanksgiving is a holiday that is uniquely American (And Canada to some extent). While countries from all over the world celebrate major holidays like Christmas and New Years Eve/Day, the 4th Thursday of November is just another day of the week.

Thus, there will be some customs missing today in Beijing. There will be no over-indulging Thanksgiving feast with family. There will be no Black Friday festivities (my personal favorite day of the year). There will be no Macy's Day Parade. There will be no Dallas Cowboys or Detroit Lions NFL football games to watch. It's a disheartening feeling that I and probably many other American expats get because these are the things we grew up doing on Thanksgiving Day.

Although I've been away from the States for some a while now, it's around this time of the year when I especially long for home and familiarity. For those back home with family and friends, enjoy the best four-day weekend of the year and make the most of your time.

Anyways, Thanksgiving may not be a recognized holiday here, but I'm still finding ways to celebrate my favorite holiday. Whether it's having a potluck with fellow homesick expats or streaming NFL games online in the wee hours at the expense of sleep, Thanksgiving can still be made possible even in Beijing. Besides, I can still call my family during their Thanksgiving feast. It's not like Thanksgiving has been completely taken away from me. For that, I'm extremely thankful for.

With that said, I hope you all are having a great time with whomever you usually celebrate with. Here is a ranked list of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, which can mostly be bought at foreigner grocery stores like BHG or Jenny Lou's. Happy Thanksgiving!

Stuffing

Turkey w/ cranberry sauce

Mash potatoes w/ Gravy

Candied yams 

Pumpkin pie w/ a scoop of vanilla ice cream 

By: Stan

[ishiyou-blog]

Beijing House-Hunting SUCKS

Finding a place to live is a general pain in the butt for many folks. It's time consuming, requires a lot of careful research, and downright stressful if results don't match your criteria. Now, imagine living in a foreign country where you don't understand the language well enough, if at all and then try finding an apartment. This is the dilemma facing foreigners and expats left trying to find housing without assistance. Here are a couple tips based on my experience with the hunt.

Forget Chinese Real Estate Websites

Apartment listings may appear cheaper and the property pictures look appealing and the place might appear to be close to a subway, but this is simply a bait-and-switch method to get you to call the representative agent and inquire about the apartment. When you actually go to take a look at the place, you'll often find that it looks nothing like the pictures (often much worse) and/or located in a completely different part of the apartment community (often much further). In short, it's not as advertised. When asking why the apartment looks nothing like what was seen on the website, the agent will say that apartment has been rented out, even if the listing was posted the day before. Don't let these websites fool you or waste your time.

Beware of Pushy Agents

"Always be closing!" seems to be the real estate agent motto here. I've heard that agents must reach a certain quota of closing deals or else salary will be deducted. If this unfortunate rumor is true, it may be the reason why agents are so aggressive to get you to like the place they show you. I feel like they will say almost anything to get you sign the dotted line (ie.: It's actually a very short walk to the subway... Anything that is broken will be fixed at no cost to you... It's not loud outside... etc.). If they get a hold of your phone number, you will unfortunately be hounded non-stop about apartments they've found in your price range and suits your stated requirements, even though they most likely haven't seen it themselves. It's an unfortunate part of the experience when dealing with intermediaries. But that's not all...

Beware of Unruly Landlords Too

Nothing is for certain until you sign that dotted line and pay the deposit. My friend and I liked the place the agency showed us. The day after, we were ready to meet and discuss directly with the landlord to negotiate a suitable price. Aftering being more than 40 minutes late, she turns up and tells us the apartment has already been given to other people. She was actually working with another agency, without telling our agency. The other agency found people and told them to move their bags in and hand the landlord cash up front. Obviously, the landlord didn't want to waste time or give up a good deal, so she gave it to the other party, effectively cutting us out and leaving our agent angry and distressed for losing a sale. While taking a better offer is totally understandable from a landlord's standpoint, I feel like she owed us a bit of courtesy to tell us rather than waste our time. There's a big disconnect between landlords and agencies that comes at the expense of potential renters.

Bring a Seasoned Veteran to Help

And by seasoned vet, I mean a Chinese friend. Living in the country and knowing the language, Chinese people clearly have a better grasp on the housing market and know what apartments are really worth. Especially if your Chinese is not good enough, I strongly suggest bringing a Chinese friend to help you out with the negotiation process. They will certainly articulate much better to the landlord than you will, thus knocking down the price a couple hundred RMB in monthly rent. If the rent can no longer be negotiated down, they might be able help you negotiate for new and better furniture. Plus, they know all the rights of renters (i.e. what fees are paid for by the landlord) so you won't be paying more than what's necessary.

Examine the Apartment CAREFULLY

I really do mean this. Every nook of the prospective apartment should be scrutinized. That's because older apartments tend to be more run-down and require repairs before moving in. Create a checklist of things to look out for. From obvious things like sofas and tables to more subtle items like locks and shower-heads, it's imperative to investigate the place before signing anything. If anything is broken or not up to par with your standards, let the landlord know so he/she will take note and make a repair. Remember that they have incentive to maintain the property to create returns in the future. Therefore, don't be shy to let the landlord know that you do NOT want a single thing broken in the apartment.

Conclusion

House hunting in Beijing can and will most likely be an annoying and exhausting experience. Unless you get into a lucky situation where you don't have to deal with agents, you will likely develop your own housing horror story. Because of the language barrier and shifty sellers, it can be especially discouraging for expats. My hope is that there will be a future solution to eliminate such problems. 

By: Stanley 

[ishiyou-blog]

The Heat is ON November 15th!

Now that we have entered into the bitterly cold season of Winter, the need for heating is a must.

Being the good communist government that it is, China controls the central heating that exists in all homes in Northern China. It officially turned on, the 15th of November and will run till the 10th of March next year (please tell me if I am wrong).

The heating keeps the inside of your place toasty warm and prevents you from shrivling up into a ball of ice. I for one, am grateful for that!

Jason