<![CDATA[Comments on: New year, new lessons, and a reminder of new prices!]]> subscription price changes.]]> 2010-02-27 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> So is CNY a good time to visit Shanghai then with less crowds to battle,or are a lot of places shut? Presumably there are still plenty of celebrations in Shanghai itself.I also presume what applies to Shanghai in this instance pretty much applies to Beijing?

]]> So is CNY a good time to visit Shanghai then with less crowds to battle,or are a lot of places shut? Presumably there are still plenty of celebrations in Shanghai itself.I also presume what applies to Shanghai in this instance pretty much applies to Beijing?

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> I think CNY would be a great time to visit Shanghai as a tourist, if reliable weather isn't too important a factor (it can be pretty miserable).

The city really is much more peaceful, empty of the entire migrant population and most of the expats. Shanghai looks great, too; lights and decorations down the entire stretch of HuaiHai lu, and Yu Gardens is fun with all the lanterns.

Plus, to experience the festival's fireworks is something special (as I type, I can hear firecrackers going off in my compound, even now!!).

Many restaurants and services do shut down, but there are always enough that stay open to cope.

I love Shanghai even more than usual during CNY :-)

]]> I think CNY would be a great time to visit Shanghai as a tourist, if reliable weather isn't too important a factor (it can be pretty miserable).

The city really is much more peaceful, empty of the entire migrant population and most of the expats. Shanghai looks great, too; lights and decorations down the entire stretch of HuaiHai lu, and Yu Gardens is fun with all the lanterns.

Plus, to experience the festival's fireworks is something special (as I type, I can hear firecrackers going off in my compound, even now!!).

Many restaurants and services do shut down, but there are always enough that stay open to cope.

I love Shanghai even more than usual during CNY :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> Some of the parks in Beijing have events around New Year that are really cool. I think I went to Ditan Park, and there were stands will people selling things, and some free indoor shows. The shows were good, but even better, they got you out of the cold (it's still winter, even with no snow!)

I guess i'd agree with Suxiaoya on Beijing, less expats, less migrants. The fireworks were really cool. You just can't buy those mortars in the US, even in the few places were fireworks are legal.

]]> Some of the parks in Beijing have events around New Year that are really cool. I think I went to Ditan Park, and there were stands will people selling things, and some free indoor shows. The shows were good, but even better, they got you out of the cold (it's still winter, even with no snow!)

I guess i'd agree with Suxiaoya on Beijing, less expats, less migrants. The fireworks were really cool. You just can't buy those mortars in the US, even in the few places were fireworks are legal.

]]> <![CDATA[By: changye]]>

Today is 元宵节 （yuan2xiao1jie2）, or 灯笼节 (deng1long2jie2, Lantern Festival), in China. On the Chinese lunar calendar, it's on the fifteenth day of the first month, and it's the final festival of Chinese Spring Festival (春节). If you're lucky enough, you can see a beautiful full moon tonight. I can hear the loud firecracker sounds now. Hi guys in China, did you eat 元宵 (rice dumpling) today?

http://images.google.cn/images?hl=zh-CN&source=hp&q=%E5%85%83%E5%AE%B5&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

]]>

Today is 元宵节 （yuan2xiao1jie2）, or 灯笼节 (deng1long2jie2, Lantern Festival), in China. On the Chinese lunar calendar, it's on the fifteenth day of the first month, and it's the final festival of Chinese Spring Festival (春节). If you're lucky enough, you can see a beautiful full moon tonight. I can hear the loud firecracker sounds now. Hi guys in China, did you eat 元宵 (rice dumpling) today?

http://images.google.cn/images?hl=zh-CN&source=hp&q=%E5%85%83%E5%AE%B5&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> I ate 元宵 at lunchtime today! Love the chewy texture :-)

Had completely forgotten that it was 元宵节 until the fireworks started this evening. They are making sooo much noise here right now!!!

]]> I ate 元宵 at lunchtime today! Love the chewy texture :-)

Had completely forgotten that it was 元宵节 until the fireworks started this evening. They are making sooo much noise here right now!!!

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> I agree... although perhaps once is enough, due to all the fireworks! :)

]]> I agree... although perhaps once is enough, due to all the fireworks! :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]> pretzellogic, are you saying you can have guns but not crackers? I thought Sweden (the safest country in the world...) would be the only country to ban crackers.

]]> pretzellogic, are you saying you can have guns but not crackers? I thought Sweden (the safest country in the world...) would be the only country to ban crackers.

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> dunderklumpen, It's the guns (or rather, "arms") that are enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution, not fireworks. So I guess there's no point in going down the path of discussing which are safer, or less safe :)

]]> dunderklumpen, It's the guns (or rather, "arms") that are enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution, not fireworks. So I guess there's no point in going down the path of discussing which are safer, or less safe :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: dunderklumpen]]> Got it :-) Arms are vital, crackers are lethal ;-)

]]> Got it :-) Arms are vital, crackers are lethal ;-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Fireworks may be the thing that is most difficult to appreciate without visiting China and experiencing it first-hand. Particularly as in the West fireworks have become so controlled and commercialized. Formalized. In China it is as close to mayhem as one could imagine. Despite efforts to educate the public on dangers. Despite protocols that have been put in place in some areas. Fireworks alone make the ticket price worthwhile. They are not pretty but they refresh the spirit.

]]> Fireworks may be the thing that is most difficult to appreciate without visiting China and experiencing it first-hand. Particularly as in the West fireworks have become so controlled and commercialized. Formalized. In China it is as close to mayhem as one could imagine. Despite efforts to educate the public on dangers. Despite protocols that have been put in place in some areas. Fireworks alone make the ticket price worthwhile. They are not pretty but they refresh the spirit.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> I'd be interested to see the data on fireworks related trauma in China.I can still remember as a kid fireworks here [on Guy Falkes Night...I loved that night of course] before they were banned,which was before NSW if memory serves me rightly because then some folk were lucky enough to still be able to get them in Sydney.I know that it was kids losing eyes etc that caused the bans here.Even the professionals come with some risk...there was a fete up this way a few years ago and the fireworks fell over just before launching and went into the crowd and one poor kid was killed.Still I admit it would be pretty special to see in China,the origin of fireworks,and on a big occasion like chunjie.

]]> I'd be interested to see the data on fireworks related trauma in China.I can still remember as a kid fireworks here [on Guy Falkes Night...I loved that night of course] before they were banned,which was before NSW if memory serves me rightly because then some folk were lucky enough to still be able to get them in Sydney.I know that it was kids losing eyes etc that caused the bans here.Even the professionals come with some risk...there was a fete up this way a few years ago and the fireworks fell over just before launching and went into the crowd and one poor kid was killed.Still I admit it would be pretty special to see in China,the origin of fireworks,and on a big occasion like chunjie.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Haha. Other poddies may not recognise it but you seem to be intimating that Queensland is more advanced than other parts of Australia! :-)

Actually in NSW a similar thing happened, with the ACT remaining less regulated than NSW, so people would go down and buy all sorts of fireworks year round that we couldn't get in NSW. Maybe they would avail themselves of the other liberal-minded products that the ACT is famous for at the same time?

(PS I don't know about systematic data for fireworks in China - every year there are newspaper stories about the damage to life and property.)

]]> Haha. Other poddies may not recognise it but you seem to be intimating that Queensland is more advanced than other parts of Australia! :-)

Actually in NSW a similar thing happened, with the ACT remaining less regulated than NSW, so people would go down and buy all sorts of fireworks year round that we couldn't get in NSW. Maybe they would avail themselves of the other liberal-minded products that the ACT is famous for at the same time?

(PS I don't know about systematic data for fireworks in China - every year there are newspaper stories about the damage to life and property.)

]]> <![CDATA[By: sydcarten]]> I miss having the right to blow my eye out with fireworks.

Those were the days...

;)

]]> I miss having the right to blow my eye out with fireworks.

Those were the days...

;)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> bodawei,

..actually I'm just giving my recollections as a kid [and of course I'm not sure how accurate that is and how much was just heresay..that is it's what I remember being told and I remember a mate did come back from Sydney with fireworks but whether they were actually illegal down there at the time and gotten from some dodgy source I dunno...but it doesn't seem likely].And of course from a kids point of view ,the view of someone who thought fireworks were cool and exciting it felt the other way around..that we were backward up here and Sydney had the cool stuff.Of course now in retrospect I can more fully appreciate the rationale behind banning them.

]]> bodawei,

..actually I'm just giving my recollections as a kid [and of course I'm not sure how accurate that is and how much was just heresay..that is it's what I remember being told and I remember a mate did come back from Sydney with fireworks but whether they were actually illegal down there at the time and gotten from some dodgy source I dunno...but it doesn't seem likely].And of course from a kids point of view ,the view of someone who thought fireworks were cool and exciting it felt the other way around..that we were backward up here and Sydney had the cool stuff.Of course now in retrospect I can more fully appreciate the rationale behind banning them.

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> Is it me, or is Sarah getting more and more English with every News and Features? We even got an "oh gosh!" in this one. Are you deliberately poshing it up? :)

Not that I object, mind you. Since I now live in Birmingham, home of the most ... unique accent in Britain, hearing a lovely rounded voice speaking in what I'd call a proper accent every week is just what I need :p ...

Not that I'm into posting creepy fan comments.

Someone help me out here. Someone.

Anyone?

不好意思了。。。

]]> Is it me, or is Sarah getting more and more English with every News and Features? We even got an "oh gosh!" in this one. Are you deliberately poshing it up? :)

Not that I object, mind you. Since I now live in Birmingham, home of the most ... unique accent in Britain, hearing a lovely rounded voice speaking in what I'd call a proper accent every week is just what I need :p ...

Not that I'm into posting creepy fan comments.

Someone help me out here. Someone.

Anyone?

不好意思了。。。

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> aiya,I wish someone was concerned enough to enquire about my problems and maybe proffer some mianfei [free] advice.

]]> aiya,I wish someone was concerned enough to enquire about my problems and maybe proffer some mianfei [free] advice.

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> @xiao_liang - Brummies don't say "gosh"? Haha, I am too aware of how sharp poddies are to pretend anything on here; I'd be eaten alive ;-p

]]> @xiao_liang - Brummies don't say "gosh"? Haha, I am too aware of how sharp poddies are to pretend anything on here; I'd be eaten alive ;-p

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]>

hehe,yeah,we hang off every syllable...just waiting,listening,ready to POUNCE

wo zhidao ni hui paobu danshi ni buhui yincang

]]>

hehe,yeah,we hang off every syllable...just waiting,listening,ready to POUNCE

wo zhidao ni hui paobu danshi ni buhui yincang

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> I think that Enid Blyton was fond of the word 'Gosh'. Seems that it is having a revival. :-)

]]> I think that Enid Blyton was fond of the word 'Gosh'. Seems that it is having a revival. :-)

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> I think if you say "gosh" in Birmingham, you get stoned. At least where I live :-p The politest Brummie version I could think of is "YUUUWWOOOOORRRRR?" (you what?) but usually it's a teensy bit more expletive-laded. Love my area :p

Anyway, more Sarah on the podcasts :) I'm off to start a fan club.

]]> I think if you say "gosh" in Birmingham, you get stoned. At least where I live :-p The politest Brummie version I could think of is "YUUUWWOOOOORRRRR?" (you what?) but usually it's a teensy bit more expletive-laded. Love my area :p

Anyway, more Sarah on the podcasts :) I'm off to start a fan club.

]]> <![CDATA[By: huangshanghanzhang]]> I agree what you said ....

]]> I agree what you said ....

]]>