Monthly Archives: May 2014

Chinese Proverb of the Week: 11

Posted on May 26, 2014 by herschelian

Chū lín sŭnzi xiàn dăduàn 出 林 笋子 先 打断 The bamboo shoots which grow outside the edge of the grove will be the first to be broken off.   This is a warning proverb – if you stick your … Continue reading →

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Hustle and bustle – its hot and noisy!

Posted on May 23, 2014 by herschelian

In every nation/language there are words and phrases that defy exact translation making it is hard for foreigners to grasp the real meaning. In China one such word is  rènao  热闹   . Everyone who comes to China will experience rènao, even … Continue reading →

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Chinese proverb of the week: 10

Posted on May 18, 2014 by herschelian

Yù bàng xiāng zhēng, yú rén dé lì. 鹬 蚌 相 争 鱼 人 得 利 When a snipe and clam quarrel, the fisherman benefits. This is a very old proverb dating back in Chinese history to The Warring States … Continue reading →

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On the Noodle Road: from Beijing to Rome with Love and Pasta

Posted on May 15, 2014 by herschelian

When the domestic exchequer is empty and the summer holidays are still some way off,  there is nothing better than making yourself comfortable and doing  some armchair travelling. I have recently enjoyed travelling  vicariously from China to Italy over the … Continue reading →

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Chinese proverb of the week: 9

Posted on May 12, 2014 by herschelian

Hĕi guō lĭ zhŭchū xiāng mĭfàn 黑 锅 里 煮出 想 香 米饭 Tasty rice is cooked out of a black pot When risk-averse westerners see street food being cooked in China they are often horrified, and I imagine that … Continue reading →

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Grape Expectations

Posted on May 10, 2014 by herschelian

When I first came to China some 20 years ago, the DH and I would only ever drink beer or tea when eating in a restaurant. Sometimes there was wine on offer but in those days there only seemed to … Continue reading →

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Chinese Proverb of the week: 8

Posted on May 6, 2014 by herschelian

guó yì zhì ér jiā nán qí 国 易 治 而 家 难 齐 Easier to rule a kingdom than run a family I’m not sure if we have a similar proverb, but I totally agree with the sentiments in … Continue reading →

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Women only – Nǚshū – a secret language

Posted on May 3, 2014 by herschelian

In this more and more globalised, interconnected world, certain languages are becoming increasingly dominant – English (or a variation of it) seems to be spoken just about everywhere – and ‘minor’ languages with fewer speakers are slowly dying if not … Continue reading →

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