China has now 162 million internet users according to the CNNIC. A big jump form the previous 137 million at the end of 2007.
I wrote a short article including charts comparing the end of 2006 with the stats from June 2007.
July 19, 2007
July 12, 2007
Recipe for Cartonboard Baozi
Products from China are lately in the limelight. Toothpaste that kills, food for kittens that kills, fake water in the water coolers in Beijing and now steamed pork buns (baozi) made from cardboard have popped up.
A bakery in Beijing sold pork buns that were made of 60% cardboard and 40% pork. Customers don’t taste the difference the owner told an uncover journalist. He added though he didn’t eat themselves. Well, I can imagine that:)
Here’s their secret recipe:
Squares of cardboard picked from the ground are first soaked to a pulp in a plastic basin of caustic soda — a chemical base commonly used in manufacturing paper and soap — then chopped into tiny morsels with a cleaver. Fatty pork and powdered seasoning are stirred in.
Soon, steaming servings of the buns appear on-screen.
Bon appetit
Food and water, both rather important to survive. But where to buy….
Source: Newsvine
July 4, 2007
I’ll change my name to VAN
Over the last weeks I got several calls from so called Western managed and quality services like my hospital and my dentist. The conversation invariably started with, “Am I speaking to mister “Van”. (Mister “From”, a common part of a Dutch surname)
Before the The Dell china customer rep was convinced I was called mr. Van as well.
As apparently these Western managed and mostly overpriced services don’t bother to train their staff how foreign names work, I have decided I’ll change my name to mister Van.
Let’s see how that works out in their administration.
June 29, 2007
Wisdom Tooth Pulled
My second wisdom tooth was pulled yesterday.
Last time it was in the upper half of my jaw (to be exact on the right side) and it cost me 300 Rmb.
This time it was the lower half (left side) and it cost me double.
I have no inkling why there is such a difference as the work seemed the same.
It’s still much cheaper than Holland though.
June 28, 2007
Yahoo.com Down and Up Again
Yahoo.com was unreachable here in China for more than 12 hours. It’s up again. The question is, is it accesible again because of a glitch in the Chinese firewall or is it allowed in again for good:)
The Chinese internet, never a dull moment…
June 26, 2007
Beijing Olympic Posters with a Twist
There are already official posters for the 2008 Olympics and now there are also some unofficial ones that are quite amusing.
Olympics and the Bicycle
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Olympics and Mahjong
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| (Mahjong is a Chinese game where money changes hands a lot) | |
Sources: Creative Posters
H/T CDT
June 25, 2007
Flying Chef Cooks At Home
While adding new links to My China Start I ran into the Flying chef website.
The Flying Chef is labeled as a Shanghai-based, inexpensive service to book an experienced Chinese chef to cook in your home for private dinners.
I kinda like the concept and it doesn’t seem to cost too much. I’ll try it out sometime this summer I guess.
And no, I’m not paid to write this:)