Compared to most common languages Chinese inheres a big gap between spoken and written. Once I had arrived in China I found out at several occasions. Back in spring 2019 I had started studying Chinese by myself. To facilitate progress I had leveraged several online tools including one charged software. … Continue reading Spoken vs. written Chinese – ready for the Challenge? 😈
How would Qingdao be different from other Chinese cities, you wonder? Well some things come to mind. But for today, let me give you only this one reason, which I found out about lately. That day I was meeting my friend at Shílǎorén Beach in Láoshān District. I started the day off with a 火烧, … Continue reading Along Qingdao’s Waterfront #1
Going abroad can be tough. Trivial daily errands become most challenging. This holds especially for China. Most Chinese wouldn’t understand English, intercultural barriers are high and major Apps would process Mandarin only. When I arrived in Qingdao that was the exact mess I found myself in. How to get to 是老人海滩 (Shilaoren Beach) when Google … Continue reading Lost at Chinese Groceries – Shopping put simply
Did you know that the region of Qingdao was home to one of China’s oldest advanced civilizations? Indeed, the Qi people had settled on the Shandong Peninsula more than 3,000 years ago making it one of China’s most original places. In Autumn and Spring Period, the City of Linzi evolved to be the world’s biggest city of … Continue reading Shandong Province – Nucleus of Chinese History
Drinking wine and learn Chinese with XMandarin? The German wine festival in Qingdao was once again a success! The 5th edition of the wine festival took place at the Olympic sailing center. With more than 5000 visitors, XMandarin is proud to have been part … Continue reading 5th German Wine Festival in Qingdao!
If you are born in 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995 or 2007, this year is dedicated to you. According to the myths, the pig is the last one arrived at the Jade Emperor's great meeting because he feel asleep after a feast during the trip. So this is not your fault if you are always … Continue reading Pig year for 2019
After an exhausting week learning Chinese in Qingdao's Languages Schools. Among all activities possible in Qingdao, a hike in Fushan is one of the most enjoyable. Easy to access, free and relaxing, an afternoon of hiking in these mountains makes you forget the stress and noise of the city. The first part is easy to … Continue reading Qingdao Fushan Mountain 浮山
Last day for XMandarin interns After 6 month, it's time for Joolie and Kevin to leave the XMandarin school. They left behind a sad team, but they were proud to have worked with young people full of talent and ambition. The company and interns are very satisfied with the time spent together. "It's a … Continue reading Goodbye to Joolie and Kevin
Hallo, heute schreibe ich einmal in Deutsch. Natürlich werden unsere Blog Artikel weiter in Englisch geschrieben, dennoch wollten wir auch einmal an unsere vielen Deutschen Leser einen Blog schreiben. Mittlerweile bin ich seit über 3 Monaten hier in China. Für mich war und ist es die beste Entscheidung in Ausland zu gehen. 10 wichtige Dinge … Continue reading 10 Dinge die sich ändern wenn du im Ausland bist
It is the 1st of October and that means, its the Golden Week. This is a week where everyone in China gets a week off from their work, if you do an office job, and school. Most people use this week to travel, most of them travel domestic however some choose to go abroad as … Continue reading Golden Week
