ChinesePod - Intermediate

Poems seem like they'd be a lot easier to write in Mandarin. Think of all the words that rhyme with 'shu': lu, chu, du, fu, bu, su, poo... oh wait a minute, that's English. Listen to this podcast on Chinese poetry and get inspired. And feel free to post your own poems in the comments section. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0669

Inspired by many a Shanghai late-night party, be it mahjong with hard of hearing participants getting riled up on baijiu, or a laowai house party, period. Party styles differ, but sleeping neighbors get just as cranky on both sides of the wall. Listen to this podcast, and be ready to explain yourself in Chinese when you get the dreaded police knock at 11:00pm. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0945

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 know we’re glad they’re paying--but you've got to at least put up the appearance of a good fight. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0664

The 'Fear Factor' of Chinese tests, the sit-down-break-out-in-a-sweat test, the kind of test those standing-naked-at-the-front-of-the-class nightmares are made of. An essay in Chinese characters you say? By hand? Oh ho ho, that's just the beginning. Takers of the HSK test, we bow down to you. Aspirers, sacrifice yourself on the altar of books and prepare for a case of writer's cramp only 10 pages of handwritten Chinese characters can bring. Hear more to tempt you to HSK in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0931

ChinesePod may be the only company in the world where employees can be legitimately reimbursed for buying knock-off DVDs (they were for Movie Madness, we promise). Though, admittedly, wrangling a receipt is sometimes a challenging endeavor. In this podcast, listen in and find out how to use your Mandarin Chinese to get reimbursed for your (likely) more legitimate expenses. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0651

You have an aversion to being poked? No problem! You can get suction cupped! The polka-dotted welts clash with your striped outfit? Get skin scraped! All this and more to look forward to on your next health check-up. Trips to the dentist seem like a holiday now. Learn all about these Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques here in this podcast. Then go out and get healed! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0923

Incredible, unstoppable titan of terror! Mightiest monster! Mightiest melodrama of them all! Civilization crumbles as its death rays blast a city of twenty million from the face of the earth. The legend continues, in Mandarin Chinese... Godzilla arrives in Shanghai. Listen to this podcast... could it be our last??? Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0645

Yes, this is the same health class that deals with the facts of life, however, you will have to patiently sit through a passionate lesson on the circulatory system before you get to that one. In this podcast, learn about what makes your heart go aflutter in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0938

Rules of boss flattery: if you start complimenting your beer-bellied boss on his figure, he might catch on that you're just looking for a raise. Better to stick to his rugged good looks. In this podcast, a Mandarin lesson on how to use your Chinese charms to suck up. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0623

So much more than just the name of your favorite Chinese garden in Vancouver. Sun Yatsen is often considered the founder of modern China. With such an impressive title, surely us Chinese learners should learn a little more about him and what he stood for. You can, in this podcast. Learn about this famous figure in Chinese history in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0908

One never knows when one will find oneself in a game of pin the tail on the Chinese city. Get a head start on your Chinese topography. In a place where a city you've never even heard of can have the population equivalent to that of a small country, there is a lot to learn. Listen to this podcast and learn in Mandarin about some smaller (read: population 8 million) cities in China, and what the cityfolk are up to there. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0617

Confucius Says: Learning Mandarin is good for you. Confucius Says: You haven't lived till you've learned Chinese. Confucius Says: Stop being so lazy and get studying. The wisdom of Confucius is now available to us and our remedial Saved by the Gong class. Let's listen to this podcast as John and Jenny spout some pearls of wisdom of their own... And remember, if you don't know Confucius, you just might not know China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0894

Ah, the eternal question of what you want to be when you grow up. Said question, posed by well-meaning family members when you are in your third year of enjoying yourself loafing around Asia, starts to lose its charm. Now, if you don't want to go home, and you need a legit job to placate mom and dad, you can always adopt a Chinese uncle with 'guanxi' up his sleeve. In this podcast, listen and learn in Mandarin about post-graduation challenges in China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0608

Name a famous chemist. Mm-hmm, you can't can you? Didn't think so. If you want to make a living cooking meth, mixing hair gel or testing tainted candy, you've got some learning to do. But first learn a little about chemistry in Chinese in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1011

As you know, we at ChinesePod do not advocate drug deals, illegal sale of firearms and/or parking lot rage... but when it comes to our friendly neighborhood DVD man, well, that's when things get a little grey area-ish. Listen in to this podcast and learn all the Chinese movie-purchasing lingo you're going to need to pass those long summer evenings holed up in air-conditioning movie-watching bliss. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0600

Anyone who has lived through an earthquake, or twenty, in a 1970s-built back alley Taipei apartment knows a little about geology. China has its fair share of dramatic geological events, and today we go back to class to learn about them. So next time the building starts swaying, fear not. This is not scary, it is simply another rush-inducing Chinese learning experience. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0878

ChinesePod is going a little 'new age' today and encouraging you to explore your inner child. Close your eyes, let your spirit roam... you are getting sleeeepy, wait! Not too sleepy. Make sure to pay attention to this lesson on letting your imagination run wild in Chinese... you never know where it might take you. Sorrow, happiness, money, incense... steamed buns. Sound odd? Listen to the podcast, and explore the labyrinthine recesses of the human mind! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0593

You thought the abacus was some sort of Chinese percussion instrument and that the guy in the market sign-languaging you number signals was challenging you to a game of rock, scissors, paper. You didn't take math in China, and you're gonna keep getting outnumbered till you can keep up. In this podcast, get back to remedial class and accomplish the feat of relearning all those math formulas you can't even remember in English. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0839

Cultural divide is at times nowhere more evident than in matters of appetite. When it comes to cravings--you're pining for potato chips, she's fancying feet. You're itchin' for a little twinkie-binging loving, she's hankering for a little o' the necks. In this podcast, food-fusion, east-meets-west, necks-meet-pretzels... learn how to nosh in Mandarin Chinese! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0579

You won't find Screech in this classroom, but you will find some interesting characters in our new junior high drama. Someone once said: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The same is true for history class. So here's some history in Mandarin Chinese, and don’t forget to use the exercises or you’ll be doomed to repeat this lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0807

The Departed was a pretty good film, although we have an office-wide dispute over whether it's better than Infernal Affairs. Before you settle down to watch the Hong Kong original in its glorious Mandarin dub though, we recommend checking out this podcast to learn the Chinese of the streets. Otherwise the plot won't make much sense. Bonus points if you can spot our mole ahead of time. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0573

So famous in China that he ranks his own statue in a housing development, the Harry Potter craze of course didn't leave China untouched. Though a look around any street-side book cart may make one wonder if any of J.K. Rowlings millions came from this neck of the woods, all the same--Harry Potter is part of Chinese children's world now, too. Hear all about the little wizard in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0919

The language of babies may be mysterious, but the customs of parenthood are universal. Granted, the open crotch pants of babies in China save on diaper changes, but all parents run the gauntlet of feedings, sleepless nights and the task of coming up with creative inducements to slumber. This podcast walks you through another time-honored parental tradition... that of sharing your woes with a friend--this time, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0563

In this two-part hospitality series, we are going to talk about common dialogues in the hotel. Today in this episode, we are going to talk about the turndown service. Let's take a look! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4628

The job candidates are lined up outside the office, with their neckties, their crisply printed resumes, and their sweaty handshakes. You thought going to a job interview was nerve-wracking. What about giving one? Oh, how the tables have turned. Listen to this podcast for help. Learn how to prepare for conducting a job interview in Chinese in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0905

You know her type: a different guy for every day of the week, the tantrum dramas, the high-maintenance demands for lavish tokens of your admiration, her every surface gaudily bedecked with her spoils. In this podcast, ChinesePod does a public service announcement and teaches you how to beware of the dreaded "easy" girl. Let the learner beware of her artifice... in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0557

In today's lesson, we will learn about the 4 ways to ask for something. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4611

Is there a better way to mix with the locals than by shootin' some stick and throwing back some Tsingtao's? Those words that can often never get past the tip of your tongue will flow like wine by the third round of pijiu. You will need some basic billiard lingo in Mandarin Chinese to hang with the boys, however. Well, that and a solid bank shot. Get it in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0895

Some people worry about the internationalization of call centers. Not us though. What could be more pleasant than getting transferred to a customer service center in Shenzhen? Life is filled with unexpected opportunities for language practice. Listen in to this podcast, and soon you'll be asking for the transfer... in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0552

In today's lesson, we will learn how make your clients feel welcome and help you seal the deal. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4538

You don't pad your resume, of course, but then if you were to pad said resume, perhaps the best padding would be a first-class Chinese university that no one could call to check up on. Then again, buying one online from the University of Belarus is a viable option as well. You choose. Either way, get a little more educated with this lesson on a couple of the top schools in China, in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0883

So you've decided to get with the cool kids and buy an MP3 player so you can rock the ChinesePod, shake your body. But how are you going to brag about it if you don't know all this techno-lingo? Don't fear--just put those earbuds in your ear, press play, and listen to this podcast with a Mandarin Chinese lesson about MP3 players. With ChinesePod playing in your ears, you'll never be uncool again! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0524

In today's lesson, we will learn how politely disagree with someone in the workplace. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4533

Reasons to do yoga: 1) leisure suits are so fashionable these days; 2) get to wear said leisure suit and lay around on mats listening to relaxing waterfall music; 3) body flexibility lends dexterity for crowded line 1 subway transfer maneuvers. So many reasons to learn! So slip on your Lululemon, stretch out your mouth, and hit the Mandarin yoga studio in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0867

What do red dresses, red envelopes and endless toasting have in common? Find out here in this lesson all about the culture of Chinese wedding customs. In this podcast, learn in Mandarin Chinese what a traditional Chinese wedding is like, and also what is expected of you--whether you are the guest... or the groom! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0516

In today's lesson, we will learn how politely disagree with someone in the workplace. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4532

ABC, CBC, BBC... no they are not TV networks, they are the bridge in the cultural gap, the players on both teams, the understanders of both worlds, closet holders of two passports... they are the overseas Chinese. Whether you're a banana or an egg, listen to this podcast and learn what life is like for our Chinese/Western friends and neighbors. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0863

If you’re one of the brave ones amongst us that is bold enough to get behind the wheel in China, surely there may have been times when your usually sunny disposition has become somewhat, let’s say, “ruffled”. Relive them in this podcast teaching you how to teach that jerk of a driver a lesson that he doesn’t own the road--in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0506

In today's lesson, we will learn how should supervisors encourage employees, for better teamwork and workplace environment. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4524

Perhaps known to you as a 1970's rec room relic, the ping pong table is a veritable altar of worship for the Chinese. The ball may look pansy-ish--until it's coming at your face at 100km per hour. An exhibition round of 'beer pong' to slow your adversary's reflexes would have been prudent. So warm up your paddle arm, jinx your opponent with a case of ping pong elbow, and learn about the passion of the game in this Mandarin lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0855

Though ninjas aren't generally considered one of the risks of doing business in China, one never knows when one is in danger of being knocked off. Sometimes letting down the facade of Mr. Nice Guy can turn on you, as our Canadian businessman Peter is about to discover, to his chagrin. Listen to this podcast, and the tale of Peter's descent into the dark, ugly underworld of Manager Li, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0636

In today's lesson, we will learn some useful Chinese Language techniques. You will learn to understand "ways of gentility", which is often seen in a Chinese work environment. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4518

You're traveling to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound... but of a money-making free for all. A journey into a wondrous, though at times unsightly, land, whose boundaries are only those of the imagination... and foreign capital. You are entering... the Special Economic Zone... Learn about it here, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0850

In this installment of our series, Canadian businessman Peter decides to lose the 'nice guy' image and get down and dirty in his negotiations with the Chinese factory. In this podcast, learn some Chinese-style business negotiation tactics. Listen and see if Peter has got what it takes to break free from the stereotypical 'polite Canadian' mold to overcome the infamous barriers of bargaining in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0613

In today's lesson, we will learn some useful Chinese Language techniques. You will learn to understand "ways of gentility", which is often seen in a Chinese work environment. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4513

Having enough stores to service 1.3 billion people is one thing, having same 1.3 billion people crammed in a frenzied mall on a Saturday afternoon leads to other logistical challenges. Solution? Whether you want to buy a used wedding dress, a kidney, or Britney's gum for $263 American dollars, learn how to shop online in Mandarin. In this podcast, buy low sell high and enjoy the quietude of Chinese internet shopping. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0835

We now join our Canadian businessman, Peter, as he goes on a tour of a local factory in China. Will he be faced with startling revelations of sweatshop conditions, child-labor violations and 20 hour workdays--leading to troublesome moral dilemmas? In this podcast, learn as Peter goes to the source and discovers what "Made in China" really means, in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0566

In China, having a meal with clients is not just eating. Everything is related to the business. That's why learning table manners is so important. In this lesson, we’re going to learn how to make small talk. Let's get started! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/4508

You'll find them working the bars in any country, trying their pathetic lines on girl after girl. In this podcast we listen in on a Chinese pickup artist and discover some Mandarin barfly cliches. So, don't be that guy, and don't miss out on this lesson... In Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0828

Our businessman friend, Peter, has sobered up and accepted the exciting offer of touring the factory he is considering buying product from in China. But he's got to get there first. Since China is a little bit bigger than he had anticipated when he booked and then subsequently cancelled the 52 hour train ride to get there, listen in and learn along with him how to book a plane ticket in China using Mandarin Chinese. That's the easy part. The hard part will be when you start to get picky... extra pillows, window seat, caesar tall and neat, more peanuts... for that you're on your own! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0533