How to Survive China as an Expat

If you're planning on going to live in China there are probably a few things you should know first. Even if you have lived in a country other than your own previously, you will find China to be quite different. There are many reasons for this, but here I want to go through a few things that'll help you survive and thrive in China.

1. Patience: You're going to need lots of it! There is nothing quite so frustrating as not only trying to communicate with someone who's language you don't know, but also trying to do something productive when 3 - 5,000 years of culture (depending on who you ask) is in front of you like a brick wall. They like to do things there way, no matter you may think it's silly, this they like to call 'tradition'.

2. A Serious Sense of Humor: Now a serious sense of humor may sound something like a misnomner, but what I mean is 'a real' sense of humor. Now everyone thinks they have a sense of humor simply because they can laugh at jokes, but that's not really quite the same as actually having one. There will be no time in your life where you will need a sense of humor as much as if you plan to live in China for some years... because sometimes, all you can do is throw your hands in the air and make a joke about something you have seen in China which is close to incomprehensible to you (and there will be a lot of those things by the way).

3. A Thick Skin: Most native Chinese when they meet a non-Chinese will ask them exactly the same thing again and again (no matter they actually know you or not). This is fine for a week, but how about when it happens everyday 5 - 10 times a day for a month, a year, two years or ten years!? A thick skin is therefore a very desirable trait to have.

Although there are numerous other characteristics I could mention, in all truth not much can truly prepare you for 'the wonder' that is China! But That's actually what makes China an unforgettable life experience. So be prepared, but don't over prepare is my sincere advice to you.

Find out more about Chinese culture and Expat Life in China by visiting my main blog.

Pandas, China's national animal, are a bit mysterious to say the least, for reasons I'll go into later. They've been used as a form of diplomatic gift for centuries since the Tang dynasty, when China's only ever empress, empress Wu, sent a pair to Japan. 


China reestablished this tradition in the 1950's; pandas are always given away in pairs so they can begin 'a happy family', although they rarely seem to want to. Since 1984 in fact, they've only been loaned to other countries, with a fee payable of up to one million U.S dollars. Any cubs born in that time, remain the property of the peoples republic of China. It kind of makes sense from a Chinese point of view really, as if every country has pandas, they no longer retain their diplomatic gift value.


 It's a bit unfortunate that pandas are used in this way, as has been commented by quite a few people. Taking them out of their natural environment isn't exactly the best way to treat an endangered species. Yet conversely, extreme care is given to most, in developed countries zoos; hopefully allowing for propagation of the species, although as I just mentioned, they are hardly very enthusiastic about this activity. Valentines day is always a non-event for panda bears.

To continue reading this article click: Panda Bears and go to the main site.

Ancient Chinese Art History

Chinese art is in many ways very different from most western produced art. By this I do not mean simply in style and in the use of materials, but also, very importantly, its application and the expectations of a piece. The first instances of what could be called Chinese art date as far back as 10,000 BC, and was in the form of simple pottery marked with patterns made by some form of cord, and also sculptures. 


 One of the strongest influences on Chinese art, and Chinese paintings themselves, is early Chinese calligraphy and writing, the first instances of which are found during the Shang Dynasty (1700BC - 1046BC). Chinese characters were in the form of pictograms that gradually developed into the present day characters, most of which are unrecognizable as their original image (one exception is the character 'fei', meaning to fly, that still looks like a bird.)

To continue reading this article click: Ancient Chinese art history and go to the main site.

China, the culture and country, are frequently discussed ad infinitum online and elsewhere. With people getting all hot under the collar as to what actually is 'Chinese culture', and the way they feel Chinese people should behave... or not behave as the case may be.

 Yet without knowing how their culture developed it's rather a moot point. So, as every good Chinese student knows, to understand the present, we must go to the past. A long, long time into the past.... Brace yourselves, as this is going to take a while (it's to be expected of culture with 3,200 years of actual, provable, recorded history)... I'll promise you one thing though, if you manage to read the whole thing, you'll understand things about Chinese culture that even native Chinese have trouble articulating in one fell swoop.

To read the rest of this post go to: Chinese Culture and the One Hundred Schools of Thought and visit the main site...