Elementary | Paying a Bill

Some foreigners think there's a conspiracy to deprive them of enjoying rice with their meal in China. In fact, it's just a Chinese custom which might seem strange to you. Here's a helpful tip: if you want to eat your rice with your meal, you can always ask them to bring out the r ...  Show more

In this newbie lesson, you will hear one of the most common questions that you are asked as a Chinese learner: “Is learning Chinese difficult?” Your immediate response might be, “Yes, learning Chinese is VERY difficult!” But there’s actually a better response to that question! Fi ...  Show more

You thought that picture of Mao was a little too handsome... the bill a little too clean... the shiny bits just a little too shiny. Oh if only there were a battery of tests to put your cash through. Oh, right... there is. Listen to this podcast and learn a few Chinese words, a ...

Walking through a street food miasma where you smell the food before you see it, and seeing it is not necessarily believing it, this lesson is about one of the better smelling and easily-identifiable of the street foods of China. Which in itself is a good enough reason to purc ...

Due to the bill-snatching prowess of the Chinese, you may find yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to tactical check-paying maneuvers, post-dinner. Listen to this podcast and learn how mobilize for the battle of the tab, in Mandarin. Of course, that being said, we all kno ...

It’s slightly reminiscent of your friendly neighborhood ‘Oriental Palace’, but where is the General Tsao’s Chicken and florescent pink sweet and sour pork? Though the smells and greasy tables feel strangely familiar, this isn’t the Chinese take-out of your memory. This podcast ...