Cup of Cha
This is China

Once you’ve been in China a while, few things catch you quite as off-guard as what I found in the refrigerator of my new apartment. I’ve been in a bus that hit a van, [seen] men hanging out of windows attached to ropes (cleaning windows), a car in Xinjiang that was such a poor knock-off [...]

Continue reading “Chinese Blood Liquor” »

So I figured out the fastest way to get your site blocked in China: quote Chinese newspapers. Yesterday, Cup of Cha went down for a while after I quoted two articles, one like this in China Daily and the other was this in 人民日报. They were both on the event that isn’t happening in a [...]

Continue reading “Don’t Cup Block Me!” »

And so ended the great internet experiment. With the “excitement” in the western part of the country, internet sites have been getting blocked left and right (or at least there is an amazing series of coincidences).
While the NY Times and Washington Post seem to be working fine, here are some of the sites that seem [...]

Continue reading “Beijing Craps Itself” »

As reported by Xinhua, Hu Jintao has claimed victory in his re-elction today at the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC), appearing to have a clear majority. Senator Clinton told the media not to jump to any conclusions yet, citing an obscure Communist Party rule that allows for “the super army” to install anyone they want–her [...]

Continue reading “Hu Jintao Claims Election, but Hillary Vows to Fight on” »

Why is it that people who have made careers tearing others down so often are blinded to the fact that there is always someone gunning for their power? Soon-to-be former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer is the latest in a long line of all too-fallible men (and women) who just should have known better. Instead he [...]

Continue reading “Spitzering Everywhere” »

In a move that demonstrates the increasing power that Cup of Cha has with the Chinese Government, news outlets are reporting that dog meat restaurants are being forced to shut down in the nation’s capital. Loyal reader “OtherRichard” passed along this article from Sky News.
The move comes a week after popular blog Cup of Cha [...]

Continue reading “No Dog Meat During Olympics” »

It’s amazing the things you learn from your old landlords. For example, did you know that the 103 square meters that are officially included in the floor space in my old apartment included the hallway and the lobby on the first floor? It’s true. It may even have included the courtyard for my complex. Of [...]

Continue reading “Put Your Guests in the Hallway” »

Yesterday I did most of my moving into my new place, only two blocks from the old one. I was able to get all of my stuff over there in a few taxis rides, but taking 10 suitcases away freaked out the doormen at my old building. In order to move lots of stuff, apparently, [...]

Continue reading “Permission to Move Sir” »

I remember Bill Clinton’s first presidential election in 1992. He was cool, smart, likable and most importantly, he really cared about the average American. He gave people hope and made them feel like America’s best days were ahead of them. There was a Bush in the White House, a war in Iraq had just ended, [...]

Continue reading “Clintons Should See the Writing, End Cynicism” »

As it turns out, concerns that Beijing will be brutally hot this August during the Olympics are completely false. You see, temperatures and humidity both begin to fall one week into the 8th month, according to Guo Liwen, head of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau. What a lucky coincidence then that the Olympics are set to [...]

Continue reading “Lunar Calendar Means Cool Olympic Weather” »