Life in China | Dominik Mayer – Products, Asia, Productivity

In 2008 and 2009 I spent 1.5 years studying Chinese at Tongji University in Shanghai. This is my way to China, these are my experiences in Shanghai.

I arrive in China on page 15.

147 Stations

Matt Mayers, creator of the great Metro map ExploreShanghai (review at CNReviews) is going to do the Tube Challenge next Monday. He’ll attempt to visit all stations of the Shanghai Metro that day. More information in his blog.

Good Flight

The Mother of Shanghai has left. The city thanked her for her dedication with a beautiful last day and a starry starry night.

Intermediate?

Buying books for my third and last semester at Tongji. They have strange titles. The most important one: “Climbing up”. And no “Elementary Chinese” next semester. Now it’s called “Intermediate Chinese”. I’m afraid.

Take It All

I invited two friends to facebook. They joined. And added my whole friend list. Now everyone’s asking me who they are. Annoying.

What I don’t understand: Why are so many people are accepting the request?

Give Them Time

A recent discussion among friends. They think the Chinese government is on a good way. It’s working in the best interest of the country. We have to understand that.

Today, the Golden Shield also blocks Twitter, Flickr, Hotmail, Live, and Bing.

One of the friends is now “disappointed by the government.”

I feel confirmed. And helped her to set up tor.

I Hope

that there will be a time, where each June 4th, the Chinese leaders will gather together with the Chinese people around a memorial site at Tiananmen Square, commemorating the victims of injustice.

And I hope it won’t take another twenty years.

Last Exams

Less then one week until the first of my last exams here at Tongji University. So many things I’ve learned in the past year.

Back to work. Let’s study more words that a China-born friend, who has been living here for eight years, doesn’t know… ;-)

An Italki Story

I was at work, here at italki, when a very good Chinese friend called me. She was the one who has been looking for an apartment for me before I even arrived in China, she helped me to find the room that should become my home for the next year and she guided my first steps in this foreign country.

She said she knows italki. Of course. That’s where we first met. I remeber. Back at the computer, I checked my friends and there she was. And on Saturday, we’ll meet in person.

The Art of Engineering

I’m a big fan of social search service Aardvark. Today I got a question I couldn’t answer. Aardvark explains why it thought I would:

aardvark: OK. Type ‘mute’ if you’re not interested in art. (I sent you this question since you know about mechanical engineering.)