It's easy to Read - but hard to Write

I have just finished my second book in school, so this week I have gone through hard tests to see which level I have reached. In two days I have been standing at the "black board" and written 500 random selected Chinese characters. I did 90% correct which actually is very good. I am definitely satisfied with my self. It is easy to forget the word that is not daily used.

One thing that not so many people outside the Chinese language educated group have reflected over is the gigantic difference in complexity between read a Chinese character compared to also be able to write it. It's easy to believe that it have similar complicity level, which is NOT the case.

Think about how many daily seen symbols, example logotypes, that you can recognize compared how many you can write or describe in detail without see them. For example the logotype of United Nations, Motorola or The Beijing Olympics. Can you draw them? Or describe them in details? It is very easy to recognize them when you see them, but a bit harder to remember how they look if somebody ask you.

This symbol example above is describing the difference between being able to read and write Chinese characters. "Easy" to read, but much harder to write. A big part of the Chinese language students select a level to "only" be able to read, and some even dont.

This is how happy I was after finished 90% of the Chinese characters in my test. As I maybe(!) indicated, I belong to the group that have easy to write Chinese.

iPhone launched in China....exactly....NOW!!!

This is (likely) my last posting about the way for iPhone to China.

Exactly now, 2009-10-30 at 8:00 PM Chinese time is the iPhone official launched in China.

The price for the 3G/8GB will be 4 995 RMB (unlooked!). Please note that this variant dont have "normal" WLAN.

Long or Short menu?

To make a big generalization of the west world, you can say that the more nicer a restaurant is - the less dishes in the menu. The physical menus in real nice restaurant also use to be in the minimalistic spirit, so sometimes just a simple white paper, or a writing on a blackboard. Pictures of the dishes are also totally forbidden in a high class west restaurant, and is only to find in low class tourist restaurants, that also have obvious more dishes in the menu.

In China, this things is the totally opposite. In the to of line line restaurants, the menu is like a book with an impressive huge number of dishes. The presentation is often in a leather frame with art-like pictures of the food. Only the real simple small restaurants have menus without pictures, and also not so many dishes. Totally the other way around compared to the west world.

The saying "I would never eat in a restaurant with pictures in the menu" maybe can be valid in China also, but then likely told by someone in the lower salary level. (The restaurants with no pictures is the cheapest)

Ping, with an example of a real nice menu at the "The Dazhaimen Restaurant"

iPhone soon official for sale in China

My small serial from this spring about iPhone's way to China seams to have found its end.

China Unicom (one of the three big operator in China) have now the deal ready with Apple, which means that iPhone soon will start to be sold official in China. During long time it has been possible to by imported iPhones with its origin from Hongkong or USA in the electronics markets, but so far not in Apple's own stores.

The rumor says that the selling will start "early Q4" which means october, and that China Unicom initial have bought 5 millions units for the introduction. Because the number of cellphone user in China is more then double the complete USA population, this is of course a very good deal for all involved, even if the bigger part of the cellphone market in China is the low cost models.

It seams to be the older iPhone 3G and NOT the new iPhone 3GS that will be launched, and also without WLAN and later will be delivered with China's own wireless standard WAPI.

The Silk Street

The Silk Street, 秀水街, Xiùshuǐjiē, is Beijing's and Chinas biggest and most famous shopping center with focus on tourists. There are a line of competitor, but The Silk Street is the one with the biggest range of products, and is most clean. The other ones are a bit smaller and sometimes have a little more narrow product range. If you only have time to go to one market, then I propose to select The Silk Street because it is a tourist attraction in it self, and it have "everything".

The market is located on the east side between 2:nd and 3:rd ring road along the main street in Beijing, Changanjie, 长安街, that cut through the complete city from east to wets. You easy reach the place by subway Line 1, and jump of at station Yonganli, 永安里.

During the spring 2005 the market moved in to todays location. Before that it was an outdoor market in the hutong's. Today the market has about 200 000 visitors every week, and during the olympics it was close to 2 000 000 customers! The selling is separated into 1 500 small shops with totally 3 000(!) employees.

The building has selling on 7 floors, and the 2 highest have a bit more luxury shops, that I dont really think fit into the concept. The product range is more or less everything that a tourist want, and a big part is copies of famous brands. Today is the Chinese government a bit harder towards the selling of copies, so all brands are not shown open - but there are there to be find if you just mention the name.

On first and second floor sells cloth in all types. Jackets, trousers, skirts....

Third floor fit best into the name The Silk Street since it is here you can by the fabric, but also ties, scarfs and underwear.

Fourth floor has mainly piece of jewelry, watches, sunglasses and electronics.

In the basement you can find shoes, bags, belt and wallets.

Besides the main categories there are also a lot of other stuff like toys, the, decorations, pens etc.

The selling environment is very tiring because the sellers always shouting at you and sometimes try to grab you. It can be funny in the beginning but not in the long terms. The sellers has pretty strict regulations how they are allowed to act so for example they are not allowed to be rude.

Every previous published text about The Silk Street has a "school" about how to bargain and lists of what things shall cost, so I shall be the first without. You will learn pretty fast anyway. In general is the prices (after long bargain) considered pretty low by us from the west, so many comes out with much more thingt then initially planed.

How about the quality? Can be both very good and very bad. The thing is to look very careful on the thing that you will by, and then also try to be a bit lucky.

The south entrance of The Silk Street. Outside here it is always a full row of tourist busses that are waiting for there shopping passages.

My friends on floor F2. I have done pretty much shopping at there shop, so during the years we have become friends, and I dont have to bargain with them any more.

One of all seller of watches on floor F4. She is not so happy as it seams since I did not by her "Rolex" even if she told me "A-Quality, No Problem"

Chinese - The language without Yes and No

The Chinese language is very big. From time to time I become a bit depressed when I just learned a Chinese word for something, and then find out that it is a long row of alternative to say the same thing. Or if you look up a word in a dictionary and find 25 different proposal. Which one to choose? And which one is relevant to learn?

A funny paradox is that there are no clear translation for "Yes" and "No" in the Chinese language - words that is usually very clear defined in other language. In general the Chinese language is so different from for example English, that many phrases dont have any direct translation. Many Chinese sentences can have many translation, and need to be put into a situation to become understandable. It is funny to look in different "fast-guide-to-Chinese" that of course need to have translations of Yes and No. There are always different proposal, just because there are no exact translation available.

So - How to express Yes and No in Chinese?

There are a lot of different "Yes saying" and "Denying" phrases that express the meaning of Yes and No. Some example of words that can act as a "Yes"

好, hăo - OK (good)

行, xíng - OK

是, shì - To be

对, duì - Correct

可以, kěyǐ - Possible, Allowed

有, yǒu - Available, Have

To make corresponding phrases Denying - "No", you often add 不, bù or 没, méi before the phrases above.

不是, bùshì - Is not

没有, méiyǒu - Have not

What is the largest building in the world?

How to define what is the largest building in the world? The meaning of "large" can for sure means different things. The Video clip below shows some different example of what can be the biggest building depending on definition.

Three of the mentioned constructions is located in China. The Great Wall is of curse the longest one, but the other two is maybe not so expected. Casino Venetian in Macao in the biggest building if you calculate floor space, and the biggest structure based on surface area is the new Terminal 3 to Beijing's International airport. When you are standing in the long taxi zone outside the check in counters it is hard to see the end - and then you are standing at the short edge. The design of the terminal is inspired by a dragon.

Beijing Internationa Ariport Terminal 3 - Dragonstyle from above

The entrance to Terminal 3 from inside.

One, for me, highly interesting category in this subject is "The highest building in the world". The highest building in China, Shanghai World Financial Center, with its 492 meter in number 2 of completed buildings today, but will soon drop down to place 5 because several new high object will be completed during 2010. Burj Dubai will take the first place with incredible 818 meters. China has never hold the title of "The highest building in the world" but have many places in the top list. Of todays 20 highest buildings in the world, 11 are located in China.

Introduction

My name is Krister Blomberg and lives normally in the small city Kalmar in Sweden. In May I will move to Beijing (Peking) to learn how to speak Chinese. I have tried to learn the language in Sweden from time to time, but the progress is very slow. If you shall learn this language, you need to be at the place where this language is spoken.

A good side of the finance cries is that you get a good reason to do an adventure like this, that you did not have the time to do before. An adventure that is thought to be a good investment. Now when the big Chinese Financial Shark is on his way to swallow the world - then it is really good to know how to talk to them if you like to survive.

I have during the last seven year been pretty much in China - both as tourist and for business. It is an understatement that I love China, and I like Beijing the most. After I was working here 2005/2006, I could never stop thinking of moving back here, and now I will do it.

In this blogg I will tell you my story, and also pretty much about funny Chinese behavior and culture differences. Also some traveling advices and hint about what to do here.

Please forgive my bad English!

Krister Blomberg