Cup of Cha
This is China

Last day of the Olympics and I have handball gold medal tickets.  I love handball, it’s fast paced, I understand the checking rules that leave me bemused with basketball and it’s in the Olympic Green.  The sun is shining and the trip to the Green is pleasant enough.  I have heard so much about the [...]

Continue reading “One Man, One Dream.” »

Today I feel good about myself. I know you’re probably thinking, “But Josh, you must wake up every morning with a superiority complex!” True, but today is especially good. No, not because my blog was recently ranked #17 in Beijing among expats aged 22-26.
Yesterday CoSport, the official ticketer for the 29th Summer Olympiad, put the [...]

Continue reading “Office Olympic Ticket Rush” »

The Beijing magazine City Weekend, until fairly recently, was considered the weakest of the three listings/English magazine in Beijing. But then Time Out got shut down and That’s Beijing became The Beijinger, confusing some during the adjustment period. So suddenly City Weekend had an opening to make it’s pitch for the top spot.
It’s a nice [...]

Continue reading “Day in the Life of…Lazy Expats” »

I love Beijing, but every city can improve somewhat, right? New York could have bigger apartments. Atlanta could have fewer strip clubs. Salt Lake City could have more. Every city is different. But here are a few public policy choices that could help Beijing:
1. Mandate that all restaurants have more than four copies of the [...]

Continue reading “Unique Improvements to Beijing” »

Recently the government released eight things Chinese shouldn’t ask foreigners. Well, we at Cup of Cha have put together eight things visitors to the Beijing Olympics shouldn’t ask Chinese people:

When it says “duck’s blood” on the menu, what is it really? (And why is blood solid?)
Why does Taiwan (ie, Chinese Taipei) have its own flag [...]

Continue reading “Eight Things Olympics Visitors Shouldn’t Ask” »

In China, all too often, criticizing any aspect of Chinese society or the government is taken as an affront to the entire country. On my blog I pretty much say whatever I want, but in my personal interactions I try to be a little more cautious. Nevertheless, it also strikes me as bizarre that talking [...]

Continue reading “When Can One Criticize China?” »

One of my readers who is apparently trying to sell Olympics tickets online sent me an odd e-mail he received from a potential buyer, which tried to draw an ethnic pride to get a good price:
Beijing Friends,
I am Ethnic Chinese born in China.
I live in America at the moment.
I need help from other Ethnic Chinese, [...]

Continue reading “You Scratch My Han Back” »

If I had thought of this first I would have written it as satire. But it occurred in Guangdong first.
You know those flags that have become the ire of most Chinese citizens advocating the breaking off of one of China’s biggest provinces? Many were made in China, unbeknownst to factory owners and workers. If the [...]

Continue reading ““Free Tibet” Flags Chinese Made” »

Now mind you, I’m definitely not advocating robbing a Chinese bank, I’m just saying that the absurd measures they go through to protect truck deposits got me wondering. You know what I’m talking about: the enormous guns that the dozen or so rent-a-cops have as they pour out of the vans to collect or [...]

Continue reading “How to Hold-Up a Chinese Bank” »

As I’ve always suspected, the top levels of the Chinese Government eagerly await Cup of Cha’s thoughtful advice. After I advised China to look for a PR firm three weeks ago…they did. Image Thief has a link to a NY Times article on the issue.
Now I know what you’re thinking: but of course they listened [...]

Continue reading “Government Takes a Cup of Advice” »