My first teacher in Beijing made me repeat ‘jerk’ and ‘church’ several times until I could growl the Mandarin Rrrr. After a gap, I’m now back to school where a 26-year-old Song laoshi (Teacher Song) stares at me wide-eyed and orders: angry, I want more angry!’ Read more

I put down my cell phone and ignored the laptop. In the age of broadband in the capital of the third-biggest economy with more netizens than the population of USA, it was once again time to switch on the fax machine, dig into a drawer and pull out my prized possession: a red plastic chop (seal). Read more

The curvy girls in ghagra cholis were swaying their hips on stage to Aishwarya Rai’s moves in the 2005 Bollywood hit kajra re that continues to crash into Indian weddings.

But this was a stodgy old Beijing theatre where elite Chinese usually amble past signs saying ‘please keep quiet’ and ‘please dress decently’ to watch classical Peking Opera. Read more

“Hello, this is Rajeev,’’ said the caller from Chinese telecom major Huawei, that operates its biggest overseas research and development centre in Bangalore since 1999.

As my taxi rolled down Beijing’s main east-west axis, past a gun toting commando guarding gardeners placing potted plants for China’s high-security military parade on October 1, I assumed that Rajeev was an Indian India spokesperson of Huawei. Read more

Your Chinese is good. Which country are you from?
India.
Ah. I don’t feel friendly toward India.

My Chinese friend and I were practising how to say ‘let’s stay in touch’ in Mandarin, when the taxi driver glanced behind to ask about my nationality and retort that he did not feel friendly toward India. Read more

“What is this dish called Chicken 65? Why do Indians think the Chinese eat only noodles? Why do Indians think all Chinese movies are about kung fu? Why is the India-China relationship only focussed on politics and trade?” Read more

I am now used to being flattered about my ‘so big Indian eyes’ at least once a day. But on Saturday, a Chinese salesgirl peddling a fake Jimmy Choo bag in a Beijing basement actually clutched my ‘so long Indian eyelashes’. Read more

Economic Crisis Menu, said the list of choices for one main course plus drink for 58 yuan (Rs 406) in a cafe in Beijing’s best-known art district housed in former military factories called Dashanzi.

My afternoon browsing Indian art at an Italian gallery here had ended within minutes. The exhibit titled My Little India had turned out to be truly little. It showed two to three works each by four artists — Chitra Ganesh, Reena Kallat, Yamini Nayar and Tejal Shah in one big yellow-walled room of the Marella Gallery. Read more

On Saturday night, we ordered idlis at one of Beijing’s two restaurants with a basic South Indian menu. I was not surprised when they said that the unpopular idlis and dosas were bumped off the downsized menu and the South Indian cook had gone home to India.

The previous week, while the rest of Beijing was away on holiday for the Lunar New Year, I had my loneliest dinner ever, at an upscale Indian restaurant. Read more

This week, a young Chinese contact emailed me photographs of empty storefronts named KFG and McDnoalds — typo intended.

I happened to open the email while tracking the just out World Trade Organisation dispute resolution panel ruling that came down critically on the effectiveness of China’s customs measures and copyright laws. Read more