Tag: Beijing

  • Beijing has gotten really quiet

    Beijing has gotten really quiet

    How quiet is “really quiet”? I no longer hear the cleaning lady use the elevator to go up to the top floor to begin her morning garbage duty. The elevator itself is being used far less (I live right by the thing). And if the fridge isn’t doing its cycle and I just sit in…

  • Finished HSK 3 Test books and Looking at the Test

    Finished HSK 3 Test books and Looking at the Test

    The month of May saw me finish the textbook for the HSK 3 course. In total it took three months to finish 20 units, or about 110 hours, roughly. Here’s a screenshot of my spreadsheet tracking my progress: You’ll see I re-started writing Chinese characters about midway through May, but those were HSK 3-specific. You’ll…

  • Some things I’ve learned while in China

    Some things I’ve learned while in China

    Below are some of the things I’ve learned about China, its people and its culture over the years I’ve been here. Some are pretty common knowledge (such as the ideas about colours and numbers) whereas some off them are more from my own observation (such as Nong Fu overfilling their water bottles). On Technology Just…

  • It’s the fu days of summer

    Things have heated up here in Beijing and I’m barely able to stay cool and composed while on the way to and from work. No matter if I walk slow or not, I’m dripping in sweat by the time I get to the subway station. Actually, just about any time. I guess prairie boys take…

  • Reading Chinese

    I’ve been back in Beijing for about six months now and have finally gotten settled into my new apartment on the other side of town. Whereas before I was in the student district, now I’m very much in the expat district. This isn’t a problem insofar as food options is concerned, but it is a…

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