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Category Archives: China
Heartwarming taxes
I was delighted to read on Imagethief today that China is imposing a 5% consumption tax on disposable chopsticks and other products. This delight stems from several factors, not the least of which is that other people read the China … Continue reading
Posted in China
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Almost, but not quite
For a bit of extracurricular reading practice, I recently bought a Chinese copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It is a faithful translation of the original, with a few notable exceptions. Of course, “Hey, you … Continue reading
Winter, of course
Winter in Beijing is deceptively cold. An absolute minimum of about -10 Celsius may not sound too bad to true cold-weather veterans, but it discounts the effect of the gale-force Siberian winds I encounter riding to and from my university; … Continue reading
Posted in Bicycling, China, Video
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Beijing fireworks
On Chinese New Year’s Eve, I was fortunate to be invited to stay at the home of a Chinese friend of mine in Eastern Beijing. In preparation for the holiday, his family had bought a veritable arsenal of fireworks, which … Continue reading
Posted in China, Video
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Neighbour’s Mutterings
I’ve been travelling for most of the last month and a half (pictures and such will most likely follow), but am now back in my Beijing apartment where my crazy neighbour was shouting even more than usual last night. In … Continue reading
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Happy New Year 2006
What better way to ring in the New Year than with a tall glass of the year’s first batch of the official milk of the Great Hall of the People? (click to enlarge)
Posted in China, Photos
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Population questions
I’ve never been in a city where estimates of population vary so wildly from person to person. Depending on whom I ask, there are anywhere between 10 and 30 million Beijing residents. And then there is the question of whether … Continue reading
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Coal and Cabbage
It’s just after Christmas in Beijing, which puts us firmly in the middle of Coal and Cabbage season. Oddly enough, the huge piles of cabbage that overtook the sidewalks at my university last year do not seem to have materialised … Continue reading
Posted in Bicycling, China, Photos
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Silence of the Chickens
My teacher dismissed us from class today with a warning to avoid getting sick, and a suggestion to stay away from chicken and duck meat. As he said this, I realised that my crazy neighbour’s traditional morning yell wasn’t accompanied … Continue reading
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