Cheers from Qingdao … Touring the Tsingtao Brewery and Old Town!

Here’s one the first lessons of living in China: Nothing is ever spelled consistently. For instance, Qingdao, a town on China’s eastern coast, about midway between Beijing and Shanghai, is the very same as the formerly spelled Tsingtao, pronounced “Chingdow” (with the the “d” giving a slight “t” sound).  It is this same venerable town that…

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Culture Shock in China: The Grapes of Wrath

In this episode of culture shock in China via silly-expat-speaking Mandarin gone awry, the fresh markets of Tianjin set the stage. I love the fresh markets in Tianjin, actually.  I never thought I’d find a place to rival what Tonga’s Meketi Talamahu had to offer, but I’ve got to say, the fresh markets (also called “wet markets”)…

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