yangshuo

stuck in southwest china

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August 25th 2004
More than 2 years in China, and I still don't know what to make of it. It's learning Mandarin and its unconquerable four tones, following the suggestions in my book to raise my eyebrows to the second tone, stamp my foot to the fourth, and dip my chin down then up with the third, attracting concerned looks at the Lazy Book Cafe in Dali as I hold a cup of coffee in one hand and book in the other, ... read more

Asia » China

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For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more