I live and work in China and, in addition to my regular job, help a fierociously intelligent nineteen-year-old girl with her English twice a week. I don't so much teach her as talk to her and attempt to develop her debating skills. Though not perfect, her English is very good so discussion is often deep with a tendency to take unpredictable twists and turns. We've taken to reading thoughtful articles together and then discussing the main points in addition to noting down any unfamiliar vocabulary. I'd be grateful if Hivemind could suggest some provocative, not overly academic articles that could serve this purpose. I'm running out of ideas.
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posted by Zé Pequeno
on Jul 21, 2011 -
15 answers
I'll be travelling to Hangzhou, China and the region around it in a few weeks. There are six of us, and we're thinking of hiring a car/minibus and driver to transport us for the longer journeys, for example from Hangzhou to some of the nearby mountains. Is it possible for us to make arrangements with some kind of transport company beforehand, or should we just do it when we get there?
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posted by destrius
on Jul 18, 2011 -
3 answers
How can my Hong Konger friend find some money/investors for his rapidly growing fabric company as soon as possible in China?
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posted by pakoothefakoo
on Jul 13, 2011 -
1 answer
What is the most efficient and effective way to wash produce when my tap water is unsafe (microbes/heavy metals)? I live in China, and cook a lot.
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posted by joshwa
on Jul 9, 2011 -
11 answers
I purchased a few pieces of vintage reataurantware that came from a restaurant called, "The Dwarf," The body of the the vitreous china is white and the rim is decorated with a green airbrished, stenciled oak leaf design. Inside the rim of the plate, cup and on the saucer are a dwarf wearing what looks to be an acorn hat. He's facing right and is dressed in maroon and green. Beneath him are the words, "The Dwarf." There is some speculation that The Dwarf was the original Chik-Fil-A. May not be the case. Any information about the restaurant will be much appreciated!
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posted by mickeefynn
on Jul 8, 2011 -
8 answers
WeatherFilter: Help us time our trip! Online resources I've seen haven't been consistent about the weather in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Phuket in late October/early November. Will we be OK?
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posted by unionsquarepark
on Jul 4, 2011 -
5 answers
International women's soccer tournament in Haikou, Hainan, China, in December 2011 -- is it for real? Can Mefites find any more information about it? (Organizing body? Contact info? More precise data on how it's organized, dates, participants, venues? Etc.)
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posted by jef
on Jun 27, 2011 -
2 answers
A friend of mine is moving to China in a couple of weeks and was wondering if anybody has any up to date information on getting around the great firewall with a VPN service?
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posted by clockworkjoe
on Jun 19, 2011 -
7 answers
Is there a commonly available equivalent of Nyquil in China? Something with same or similar active ingredients available at any of the huge local pharmacies.
posted by crawltopslow
on Jun 13, 2011 -
6 answers
How can I help someone on the run from the Chinese mafia for something a family member did?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 7, 2011 -
6 answers
Can somebody explain the current conservative talking point "China Has Divested 97% of Its Holdings In U.S. Treasury Bills" to me? Is this simply false, or is it creative statistics, or what?
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posted by mindsound
on Jun 5, 2011 -
7 answers
I live in Australia, and have noticed lot of the students I study with who are from somewhere in East Asia will adopt a Western name while they're over here, presumably to make things easier for thick-tongued Anglos. I'm curious about how these names are selected.
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posted by nicolas léonard sadi carnot
on Jun 3, 2011 -
50 answers
Travel tips/hacks for long international flights to China? Travel pillow and video recorder recommendations?
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posted by cycleback
on May 24, 2011 -
20 answers
I'm from the US and I've gotten into a degree seeking program at a university in China. Student loans from the US, whether private or otherwise, are not available. Does anyone know how to get loans for studying in China as a foreign citizen?
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posted by ignorantguru
on May 15, 2011 -
4 answers
Looking for an article with photos where a town in China moved itself to a new location.
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posted by querty
on May 5, 2011 -
6 answers
I am traveling solo around northeast and central China for the next two months and would love your advice and sightseeing suggestions!
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posted by dustyasymptotes
on May 3, 2011 -
7 answers
How does a RMB 650k salary in a large Chinese city like Beijing or Shanghai compare to a $100k salary in San Francisco, California?
posted by dcrocha
on May 3, 2011 -
8 answers
I have a short weekend (Fri night to Sun morning) off in Shanghai during a work trip, and I'm looking for an activity - even a day trip to Beijing or the Great Wall. I'd appreciate suggestions and/or advice.
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posted by jonobarel
on Apr 21, 2011 -
12 answers
Ai WeiWei, the dissident and artist, is under arrest for suspected economic crimes
what the hell does that mean? what is it code for?
posted by PinkMoose
on Apr 6, 2011 -
13 answers
I am living in a Chinese city for a month. What are some interesting things I can learn or do while here that I can't elsewhere?
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posted by Pantalaimon
on Apr 6, 2011 -
10 answers
Let's say, theoretically, I am trying to provide a large quantity of children's books to a school in rural China.
Is there a reputable retailer / way of purchasing a large quantity of cheap/used children's books, written in the English language, within mainland China? Or would it be more feasible/cheaper to deliver such books over from another country? In the "other country" scenario, we can can think about either (1) where the books themselves have been donated, and so we are primarily worried about shipping, or (2) where we still have to purchase the books.
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posted by demagogue
on Mar 13, 2011 -
6 answers
ChinaFilter: How to best get from Shanghai to Wuhan by train and is it a good idea to travel around China during first week of May?
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posted by Pantalaimon
on Mar 11, 2011 -
5 answers
Hi Mefis,
This is an open-ended question about taking a long trip to China. My boyfriend and I will be spending about six weeks traveling throughout China from early March through mid April...
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posted by infinityjinx
on Feb 17, 2011 -
13 answers
I'm looking for the name of a book I read back in the late 60's or early 70's. It was an illustrated, I'd almost say sequential art (that'd be comics to you and me...) book all about the Chinese Communist revolution.
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posted by jpburns
on Feb 14, 2011 -
10 answers
Is there a good overview or history of China to read? Or a few books together to read on the various eras of Chinese history? It's one of the areas of the world that I know surprisingly little about but really should. Ideally, I would love to find some books that are available for Kindle.
This prior AskMefi question targeted
Early Chinese History. I'd also like some suggestions on 19th and 20th century Chinese history and the Communist revolution, in particular, too.
posted by andrewraff
on Feb 13, 2011 -
14 answers
I take Clenil Modulite (Beclometasone dipropionate, a daily steroid) and Ventolin (Salbutamol, as needed) for my asthma, in inhaler form.
I'm visiting Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Russia and Mongolia in the course of a backpacking trip starting next month. I want to take these medicines with me, but am finding it hard to find info about restricted drugs in these countries. Can you help?
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posted by Kirn
on Jan 23, 2011 -
5 answers
What are ways I can make sure I don't gain weight while not going to gym over a 2-week period?
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posted by bearette
on Jan 22, 2011 -
19 answers
Recommend places to shop for cheap import electronics in Seattle. Think knockoff ipads, android tablets, unlocked smartphones, and other geeky gadgets straight off the boat from China...The kinda stuff you can get at sites like www.chinavasion.com
posted by stenseng
on Jan 11, 2011 -
3 answers
I'm having dinner with some friends tonight, one of whom is convinced China is the next great evil superpower. However, he is open to debate so what are some concrete arguments I can use to shut him down?
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posted by Silentgoldfish
on Dec 31, 2010 -
27 answers
Where can I find information regarding property and purchasing within White Horse Village - Wuxi county in China?
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posted by SRMorris
on Dec 28, 2010 -
0 answers
What books should I read to start becoming educated about China's gulags, keeping in mind my hazy goal of "doing something about it" someday?
posted by TheManChild2000
on Dec 14, 2010 -
5 answers
Do my visa plans for Asia make sense? Thoughts and advice greatly appreciated.
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posted by Kirn
on Dec 12, 2010 -
11 answers
I'm setting up a website with WordPress. I'd like to offer site visitors the chance to pay for premium content. The site is aimed mainly at people in East Asia (mainly China). Do you know any systems which would accept payments in Chinese currency? Also, any thoughts on how accepting Chinese internet users would be to the idea of paying for digital content online?
posted by wyn
on Dec 2, 2010 -
3 answers
