“Do you work for the state department?” I asked an American at the farewell gala for Wayne McCook, the first Jamaican ambassador to China.

“Ummm, no” came the response. I explain that I’m writing an article, and was hoping to learn the major concerns of Sino-Jamaican relations.

“Oh…I ... Read more »

At a recent fundraiser sponsored by the microfinance group, Planet Finance Asia, regional technical advisor Connie Hina addressed the assembled crowd. “I just want to know, what microfinance firms are you all from?” A few of Hina’s colleagues raised their hands. Hina rephrased her question to include all organizations ... Read more »

Well, we might as well talk about the elephant in the room – or, I should say - the elephant that has just left: the US elections. For the past months, Beijing’s expats have tirelessly attended (Obama) campaign fundraisers, organized voter registration drives, and helped Americans apply for absentee ballots. Even ... Read more »

Students at Beijing International Art School follow the road less traveled

“I don’t know what’s coming and I’m not worried.” Dulce Maria Chavez Rodriguez, 25 and her boyfriend crouch in the dark. They will firedance in 15 minutes. Dulce turns to me and smiles. “What is a ... Read more »

It’s always "fiesta, fiesta" with the Mariachi Nueva Generacion

“We go out drinking every night,” says Jesus Cuellar, director of Mariachi Nueva Generacion. He smiles a broad smile. “Every night except Monday,” he adds, “then we take a shower.” Jesus and three other members of his band, his two ... Read more »

Three Gorges

Cruising

The Three Gorges Dam may have flooded out parts of the famed Three Gorges, but, ironically, it’s made luxury cruising even more feasible. Abercrombie and Kent, one of the world’s most respected high-end touring companies, recently launched a one-of-a-kind, five-star cruise ship which tools between ... Read more »

Avatar and image consultant Dr. Jones teaches how to be an alpha male

“Do you get the girls you want or just the ones that want you?” So starts Dr. Jones’ advertisement on City Weekend’s website. I read it and tell myself that he’s full of it, preying ... Read more »

The Olympics has changed the face of the city. Is it still ours?

"Somewhere around year six or seven I had the experience of landing at Capital Airport after a long trip away and feeling like I was 'home,'" a foreign telecommunications manager tells us of his relationship with Beijing ... Read more »

How the summer's sports are changing Beijing's expats

Last month saw a dramatic rise in Beijing's population of drunk, shirtless foreigners wearing flags as capes and screaming incoherently. The Pavillion, Goose and Duck and countless other sports bars throughout the city played host to football fanatics cheering ... Read more »

The Futurists converse the way it was meant to be done

"I come here because I want to make more informed decisions about my life," says Kirk Kenny, resting his chin in his hand. "What you believe about the future affects your decisions now."

The Futurists sound like a science-fiction ... Read more »

Out with the drinking club with a running problem

It's Tuesday, it's raining, and my legs hurt. I blame the Hash House Harriers for all of these things, not only for the grinding sensation in my hips and the reluctance of my thighs to go down steps, but ... Read more »

Michael Armstrong looks at what Beijing cooks can teach us

I'm a China snob. When I heard about Chinese homestyle cooking classes for ￥300, my editor and I had a good laugh about it. "Who pays for this?" we asked. "Don't these people have Chinese friends?" We were ... Read more »

The Goethe Institute ushers in a new culture

"We want to promote cultural encounters," says Michael Kahn-Ackermann, regional director of the Goethe Institute, an organization that spreads German language and culture around the globe. "Not just events that say, 'Look at this! It's German!' but projects that cause people ... Read more »

As salsa changes China, China changes salsa

At the Dancing Heaven Studio, the dance floor and couches are packed for the Wednesday night salsa class. Dancers grind and swirl and switch partners, a smooth blend of technique and hips. And, except for the people I came with, they're all ... Read more »

Starting a quiz night is easy-running one is not

"Yes, he was a very hungry painter," the Dane retorts, making fun of Frank Siegel's American pronunciation of Edvard Munch's name. Titters flow from the Scandinavians. The quizmaster glowers. "You guys want to lose points, don't you?" Then ... Read more »

Building a Beijing comedy scene at The Kro's Nest

"There is no ultimate goal," Damjan says, looking up for a moment. It's 3:30 in the afternoon, and he's setting up for tonight's first monthly Kro's Nest Comedy Jam. He surveys the restaurant, moving benches ... Read more »

A playhouse with no home

"Our dream was to start a playhouse, to have a place where we could put on our own plays," says Xavier Fremont, 32, as he pulls on a cigarette and chuckles. "I guess that's still the dream."

Fremont, co-founder and director of all Three ... Read more »

America's favorite drinking game pushes its way into Beijing

Eddie, my beer pong partner, and I showed up Pyro Pizza at 9:30pm. It was far too quiet. Couples shared slices. A group of five played cards in the corner.

Then the loud American college kids showed up. Classic ... Read more »

An artist's community on the edge of town is a place for solitude

It is not easy to find Ai Xudong or the Huantie Artist Community that he lives in, but being on the map is not the point. The point is to be alone. Ai, at 39, is ... Read more »

Russian travelers slip in and out of China's capital

We may frequent their restaurants at Dongzhimen, load up on their vodka at Yabaolu, but how well do we really know the Russians? The substantial Russian ex-pat community is more complicated than meets the eye, with several distinct groups. One ... Read more »