What's EF's reputation in China? In the U.S. it's crap. They churn host families for visiting students, and they make a lot of money doing it by having salespeople find the host families and teachers who don't know what the families have been promised by the salespeople. Some people like it and keep signing up, but ... Full Comment>>

I meant Z visa, or whatever it's called (it's in processing for renewal right now. Full Comment>>

I came on a tourist visa, but to a very reputable school and had already met some of the teachers in my home country. The school administrators didn't yet know how to process a work visa. They eventually gave up and hired a company which processed the paperwork to get my L visa and expert certificate. Will you have ... Full Comment>>

Hadn't heard of that website; thanks for the tip! Full Comment>>

SHABI The word has so many meanings, its meaning in any situation depends on who, what and where. Around here it usually refers either to a prostitute or to a dumbass. Full Comment>>

LAOWAI Gui Lao seems to be far more prevalent in the south; I've only heard it a few times in Dongbei. I've heard "laowai" so many times, in reference to me, that I can easily tell the difference between a descriptive term and a pejorative or derogatory comment, even without knowing much Chinese. ANY word ... Full Comment>>

I'm out of the entertainment loop, but happened to see a bootleg dealer a couple of days ago and bought several of these DVDs, including Mad Max. I've bought DVDs from the same dealer a few times in the past, and all have been of decent quality. So much for Hollywood security, and for IP. Full Comment>>

No one mentioned censorship. In contrast to what XJP said he'd do, censorship has markedly increased. Accessing the net is a bigger and bigger PITA. When I'm trying to get information from regular, reputable websites in order to do my job, and am blocked by ridiculous, increasing censorship, I get PO'd. Add to that ... Full Comment>>

Okay, back to the Romans. Ever bothered to look at the word "Mediterranean"? Med = middle Terra = Earth The Romans thought they were the center of the world; at the time, from their point of view and their knowledge of the world, the term made sense. Full Comment>>

I've heard "laowai" used toward me as a term of respect, but also in a way similar to "that _____ (white, black, whatever is used to mark a person as different) guy." Used in that way, I don't appreciate the term. Would you say "Hey black guy, how are you?" Full Comment>>

You mean it's not "q"? :) Full Comment>>

Excellent points. I've had many of the same experiences. One more: the system isn't letting me upvote you, which is all-too-typical. Many simple things often don't work as they should. Full Comment>>

Romans, not "every white native Europeans [sic]" used "barbarian", meaning "hairy person", to describe non-Romans. Compared to Asians, most Europeans are barbarians, in the original sense of the word. Full Comment>>

Do any readers know the current laws in China? From what I've read, the age of consent varies by province, and may vary by counties or other areas within a province. Generally, the lowest age was 12, but reports indicate the age in most, if not all places, has been raised. In major cities such as SH and BJ, I'd ... Full Comment>>

Depends on what definition you use. To lift one kg to the ISS is much more expensive, per kg. It seems the Dutch are planning to just give the customers a taste of what space would be like, rather than a full experience. Minimal training, generic rather than custom suits, no tubes up the wazoo... Just enough to ... Full Comment>>

Could be a lot worse. Imagine if Ms. Guo had chosen men for their bra size! Full Comment>>

Wuhan is a good place to be FROM; how bad is the place where you are to make Wuhan a place to move TO? Yet some people - about 10 million or so - seem to like it enough not to have left. Wuhan is the most populous city in central-east China - big whoop. The U.S. has a lot of "fly-over" states. I've only ... Full Comment>>

Pretty good blog post and some excellent responses. Regarding your comment about Chinese being the best drivers, I wondered what you were smoking until I saw you're in Daqing. In Beijing, car drivers regularly play chicken with each other and care almost nothing about pedestrians, bikers watch out for cars but care ... Full Comment>>

Your conclusion is incorrect. If you find a hair or other problem significant to a reasonable person, you should complain. Mr. Zhao's crime was threatening to cause damage if his demands weren't met. On the facts you've cited, a conviction was proper. If Mr. Zhao had simply stated that he would write reviews about ... Full Comment>>

Suing the government is difficult in any country; suing the police, even more so. Suing the police in a police state? Good luck with that. Even if you win, it probably won't be much, and the aftermath may make you wish you'd lost. It's very likely a lose-lose proposition. The only reason you hear about big paydays ... Full Comment>>

What's next - a ban on eyeglasses, because they might be a Chinese version of Google glass? A ban on any garment with more than one color, because answers might be incorporated into color patterns? A ban on shoes, socks, underwear and belts, because who knows what answers could be hidden there? This begs for some ... Full Comment>>

The article didn't say who she was dating - westerners or Chinese? If the former, NFW. I don't know of any western culture where a grown woman bringing her mother along on a first date wouldn't be an immediate relationship-killer. What if it was a relationship coach? Same answer. How about a friend? If for moral ... Full Comment>>

I'd put Tsingtao behind Pearl River. I prefer heavy beers - stouts, ales and porters; to me, lagers are glorified water. I've only found the latter in China. Of those, YANGIJNG beats the heck out of Tsingtao, which I regard as the Chinese Budweiser - and about as tasty (not) as Bud. HARBIN, like Tsingtao, is near ... Full Comment>>