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8 Ways to Master Riding a Scooter in China
Written by Chloe Super (Middlebury College) Student Correspondent
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in China in Kunming, Spring 2014
No matter the city, from Beijing to Kunming, Chinese people have mastered the art of riding the ubiquitous electric scooter. These silent, but deadly, vehicles will creep up on you in the road, on the sidewalks, in the alleys, perhaps startling you with a sudden horn or settling for a simple near-sideswipe. But do not underestimate the incredible skill of the driver – they will never actually hit you. Instead, they offer a living slideshow with glimpses of true Chinese style. "But how can I reach this level of cool?" you may be thinking. Read on.
1. Ride in Packs
Because what's more fun than cruising? Cruising with friends. Or getting stuck in Kunming traffic with friends. It all works.
One of my friends from home asked me if China was crowded. I said having 6 inches between you and a moving car while you're walking is more than enough space. As long as there is 6 inches between you an the scooter on your other side.
2. With a Faithful Companion
Have man's best friend by your side. If they're small enough, the puppy can even sit in an empty Harbin Beer box at your feet.
Also, most scooters have hand-warming mitts attached to the handle bars for frigid Beijing winds, complete with a blanket like this woman is modeling. GENIUS.
3. In Style
Sunshine does nothing but mar a beautiful, bright complexion. Heels are a must.
4. While Showing Off
Picture thee old men sitting on parked scooters and pretending to pop wheelies while laughing hysterically. They've probably been doing that since they were in middle school, wearing the matching jumpsuit that is a Chinese school uniform.
5. While Piling Your Entire Business on Top
Delivery trucks are an unnecessary waste of space. I've even seen taller towers of goods strapped (or not) to the back of a scooter. This is also how the government conducts trash and recycling collection, putting my granola Vermont school to shame.
6. Next to your New Honda
Chinese cities present a constant paradox of old culture and new development. Ancient, four-sided house complexes with courtyards constructed according to fengshui principles stand next to sleek high rises.
7. Inside a Car
Is it a scooter inside a car, or a car around a scooter? The world may never know.
8. Does it have wheels?
For this kid, as long as it has wheels, he's ready to ride. Bow to the master.
Culture Shock/Grind
Written by Josiah Stork (Middlebury College)
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Kunming, Student Correspondent, Fall 2013
Before I left for China, a bunch of people asked me what my expectations were. I told all of them that, before starting something new, I earnestly try to not have any expectations. When going to a new place, joining a group, doing any sort of new thing, if you have expectations, reality will never match up to you what you expected. Even the best of experiences won't be the same as you imagined, and you will feel let down. This will make the adventure of a lifetime feel disappointing. So, before I came to China, I had no expectations. Or so I thought.
After arriving here, I found that, unbeknownst to me, I had one expectation. I expected culture shock. Not only that, I expected culture shock to be, well, shocking. You know, like sticking your finger in an electric socket, or jumping into a freezing cold lake. I expected there to be some moment when I would just have this swept-off-my-feet kind of feeling, and I would just think Wow. I'm in China.
That seems only natural, right? When you go to the exact opposite end of the world, you expect to be shocked. Unfortunately, as far as my experience goes, that isn't really what culture shock is like.
For this reason, I'm going to switch terms. I don't like the word culture shock, as it brings about the idea of a shock. I feel the term culture grind is much more accurate. You see, it's not as if the Chinese walk on their hands or wear their clothes backwards, or some odd, obvious, shocking thing. The only real differences lie in people's expected behaviors. For instance, it seems that the Chinese have no problem with staring at white people. While this seems rude from an American perspective, it's apparently within the realm of Chinese manners.
It's these kinds of small things that, if you don't take notice, will just grind on you. You'll feel agitated without any good reason and then realize that you've been obsessing over some cultural difference. Perhaps you're annoyed because you roommate tells you what to wear and when to wear it (a Chinese way of expressing concern). Perhaps the root of your agitation lies in the fact that Chinese people give you things and you don't know what to do (there's some unspoken rule about denying the gift twice and then accepting… but it seems as if there are some exceptions to this rule). If you obsess over these small things, you'll drive yourself insane.
So, I have two thoughts to offer anyone else entering a new culture. One, if the natives are doing something that bothers you, forgive and forget. In this case, realize that they don't mean to offend you, they're likely either expressing concern or curiosity. If, on the other hand, you're worried about offending a local, forget about it. I hate to tell you, but you will certainly make mistakes, and you will probably offend someone. However, as Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying, "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
To my friends studying abroad or entering some new culture: Make mistakes, offend people, be offended, forgive, forget, and move on. Next year, you probably won't remember how annoying such-and-such was. You'll just remember the good food, new experiences, and (most importantly) great people.
Exploring an Independent Research Topic: Sino-African Relations
Written by Mpaza Kapenbwa (Williams College)
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Kunming, Student Correspondent, Fall 2013
When I was preparing for China, I received plenty of unsolicited advice meant to help me stay out of trouble and have a smooth transition. "Don't come back a communist now," I was told. "Be careful, you know they eat dogs over there," I was cautioned. While I appreciated these well-meant words, I was concerned about something totally different.
I choose the Middlebury program because of its research component. Getting to use Chinese to discuss and write about my research meant adding a crucial missing piece to the puzzle. I am interested in the increasing China and Africa economic, political and cultural relations. I have an African and American background, I have written about and discussed this issue with people of different backgrounds but none of them were Chinese. I was, however, worried about whether I would find someone interested in this topic in China. All the literature and scholarship on China-Africa relations is undertaken by western sinologists. Furthermore, even if someone was interested, how open would they be willing to discuss a topic that the government has long treated as a secret because the public might not be receptive to the idea of giving billions of dollars in economic aid to 50 African countries while China itself is still a developing country?
I was in for a surprise when I was introduced to my adviser. He is a graduate student at Yunnan University, our host University, and one of three PhD students researching the China and Africa relationship. He was just as excited as I was when we met because he probably could have imagined an American student interested in this topic. He lamented the fact that even though Africa has become a major part of the Chinese government's foreign policy, there are, as far as he knows, only 40 scholars in China who study and write about Africa.
I asked why there were not more scholars interested in this topic and he frankly told me that not too many Chinese people care about issues involving Africa. It is, to many, still the "dark continent." My concerns quickly evaporated. I had found someone who would not only be willing to guide me, but also talk about the uncomfortable aspects of the topic because it is only then that progress can be made. Within the first two classes, he was able to help describe my research in Chinese.
Over the course of this year in China, I will have many surprises. I am glad the first week brought about a pleasant one.
Our "Dorm" and Its Surroundings
Written by Jack Momeyer (Middlebury College)
C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in Kunming, Student Correspondent, Spring 2013
The 15 students of this semester's Middlebury Kunming have an ideal living situation. Our dorm (if you can call it that), is a branch of Yunnan University's (云大) hotel. Not too shabby. We receive housekeeping every day, and the walk to class is less than two minutes. Better than that, though, is, our location. The street we live on is called Wenhua Xiang (文化巷) which is literally translated to "Culture Alley." Every night 文化巷 has a night market at which vendors gather to show off their collection of iPhone cases, shoes, earrings, dresses, and things of that sort. Though I am not positive about this, I am fairly sure that the whole ordeal is illegal. The only proof I have of that is that as soon as a police officer comes by, within 5 seconds the vendors have all their products wrapped in a blanket. How quickly they do it – it's really a form of art. They then sling the blanket over their back and stand around casually as if nothing has happened. One of my classmates described it perfectly: "Do the police officers think that it's simply a nightly gathering? Everyone just brings a big ole' blanket full of stuff and stands around chatting. It's ridiculous." It is ridiculous. Some of the vendors have come up with a better system. They set up in the trunk of their own cars. This way, whenever the cops come by, they just shut their trunk, and how can the cops prove that the 40 pairs of shoes, all of different sizes and styles, isn't just their personal stash?
Aside from the night market, we have 各种各样 (all sorts of) choices as to where to eat meals. Personally, I like to take advantage of the nearly free meals provided by the University's cafeteria. I say 'nearly' because the meals are not, in fact, free. But just to give you an idea, I pay 2 kuai (the equivalent of about 30 cents) every day for my breakfast of 米粥 (something of a rice porridge) and 6 包子 (meat and vegetable filled bread). For lunch, my meal of rice, a variety of vegetables, and some sort of chicken never exceeds 6 kuai. It's a fantastic feeling paying that little for so much. On top of that, there are plenty of Muslim restaurants within a minute of our dorm that offer take out fried noodles or rice dishes for around 10 kuai. If you are looking to go out as a group and order a bunch of dishes to share (the Chinese style of eating), there are a handful of restaurants that offer the classics such as 宫爆鸡丁 (commonly known in the States as KungPao Chicken), 鱼香茄子 (Eggplants in fish sauce), 红烧鱼 (Fish in a delicious sweet sauce), and many more. These meals generally come to about 25 kuai per person. Not bad.
Many of the students, myself included, also elect to do homework in the area's cafes rather than in the dorms. Often times, a coffee and pastry will cost more than a whole meal would, but sometimes 生活就是这样 (life is just that way). Anyway, the cafes offer a fantastic environment in which to do work. It's also pretty incredible how many people, Chinese and foreigners alike, approach a table full of Middlebury students to ask why we are all speaking Chinese with one another instead of English. Just one of the perks of the language pledge, I guess.


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guitar tabs, guitar chords and lyrics
Public books
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500 Miles (Proclaimers)
99 Luftballons (Nena)
99 Red Balloons v1 (Nena)
a little bluer than that (Alan Jackson)
A whiter shade of pale crd (Procul Harum)
Accidentally In Love (Counting Crows)
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth (Misc. Christmas)
Already Gone (The Eagles)
American Pie (Don McLean)
Another day in paradise (Phil Collins)
Because I Got High (Afroman)
Big Yellow Taxi (Counting Crows)
Billy Brown ()
Blowing in the Wind (Bob Dylan)
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Green Day)
Break My Stride (Matthew Wilder)
Breakfast at tiffanys (Deep Blue Something)
Brev från Kolonien (Cornelis Vreeswijk)
Brev frĺn kolonien (Cornelis Vreeswijk)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon)
Brimful Of Asha (Cornershop)
burning sensation (Rodney Carrington)
By The Way (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Californication Simple version (Red Hot Chili Pebbers)
Cat's In The Cradle (Harry Chapin)
Cecilia (Paul Simon)
city of new orleans (Willie Nelson)
Dock of the bay (Otis Redding)
Easy (like Sunday Morning) (Various Artists)
Everybody Hurts (Various Artists)
Everybodys Talking v1 (Harry Nillson)
Fast Car ( Tracy Chapman)
Fix You (Coldplay)
Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks)
Friends In Low Places (Garth Brooks)
Fuck Her Gently (Tenacious D)
gambler (Kenny Rogers)
Glemte minner (Fra "Neste sommer", 1993)
Going Down That Lonely Road (Jim Stă¤Rk)
GROW OLD WITH YOU (Adam Sandler)
Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley)
Her Kommer Vinteren v1 (Jokke & Valentinerne)
Here Without You (3 Doors Down)
HERO (Enrique Iglesias)
Hotel California (Unknown)
House of the Rising Sun ()
I Love This Bar (Toby Keith)
I'm A Believer (The Monkees)
Im a believer (Monkees)
Island In The Sun (Weezer)
It Never Rain In Southern California (Albert Hammonds, Mike Hazelwood)
Learn To Be Still (Eagles)
Lemon Tree (Fool's Garden)
Lollipop ()
Love Generation (Bob Sinclar)
Love Generation (Bob Sinclar)
man of constant sorrow (Soggy Bottom Boys)
Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffet)
MARIA (Blondie)
Maria (Blondie)
Meet Virginia (Train)
Mmm mmm mmm mmm (Crash Test Dummies)
more love (Dixie Chicks)
MR JONES (Counting Crows)
much too young (Garth Brooks)
Otherside (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Peaceful Easy Feeling (Eagles)
Ray (Millencolin)
Remember when (Alan Jackson)
Rta (Hellbillies)
Runaround Sue (Dion and The Belmonts)
Shes So High (Kurt Nilsen)
Shut You Out (Millencolin)
Simpsons Theme Song v1 (Theme)
Sing (Travis)
Somewhere Only We Know (Keane)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow/what a Wonderful World v1 (Unknown)
Suzanne (Leonard Cohen)
Sweet Child O Mine (Guns N'Roses)
Sweet Child O Mine (Guns N'Roses)
The Boxer (Simon and Garfunkel)
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
The Gambler (Kenny Rogers)
Time After Time (Eva Cassidy)
Tirna Noir (Vamp)
titties and beer (Rodney Carrington)
Travelin Soldier (Dixie Chicks)
Tribute (Tenacious D)
True Colors (Eva Cassidy)
Unintended (Muse)
Wake Me Up When September Ends v16 (Green Day)
Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)
where were you (Alan Jackson)
Whiskey in the jar (Traditional)
White Christmas (Misc. Christmas)
white christmas (Misc. Christmas)
Why does it always rain on me (Travis)
You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban)
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Snapdragon 808
In a joint event between London and New York, LG has lifted the veil on the next iteration of its high-end smartphone, the G4. The G3's designs largely borrows from the G3 and iterates on it with a new slightly curved screen and optional leather back covers. The camera seems to be LG's core focus for this device, and we'll get back on those details in just a bit. The G4 will be the first device to officially use the Snapdragon 808, Qualcomm's MSM8992 big.LITTLE SoC arrangement that uses two ARM A57 cores in one cluster clocked in at 1.82GHz and four ARM A53s at 1.44GHz in the other. The GPU also uses a lower end Adreno 418 clocked in at 600MHz. Qualcomm avoided LPDDR4...
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808/810: 20nm High-End 64-bit SoCs with LTE Category 6/7 Support in 2015
Today Qualcomm is rounding out its 64-bit family with the Snapdragon 808 and 810. Like the previous 64-bit announcements (Snapdragon 410, 610 and 615), the 808 and 810 leverage...99 by Anand Lal Shimpi on 4/7/2014


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Daffodils growing in masses are a delightful sight and, with colours ranging from white, yellow and pink, there's a daffodil for every garden. Plant them in pots or grow them in bold drifts naturalised in grass for maximum effect. Watch our video on how to grow bulbs for the best results.
Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete'
Useful links:
View 4 for 3 bulbs range How to grow bulbs, corms and tubersMore info
Perfect Partners Bulb Collection
Tulipa, NarcissusThe ultimate duo for a sensational display of spring bulbs. Our Perfect Partners Bulb Collection are specially selected to ensure that they will bloom at the same time, and look simply fabulous together. Tulip 'Escape' pushes its scarlet red blooms above a sea of Narcissus 'Falconette' with their golden heads and vibrant orange cups. Perfect for bedding displays and filling patio containers with spring colour. Bulb size 10/11. Height: 35cm (14"). Spread: 15cm (6"). More info
Narcissus 'Yellow Cheerfulness'
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Narcissus 'Pipit'
Jonquilla DaffodilA lovely Jonquilla daffodil bearing two or three lemon-yellow flowers per stem, the cups quickly fading to creamy-white. Sweetly fragrant, Narcissus 'Pipit' blooms from mid to late spring for extended interest in spring borders and containers. These pretty Narcissus flowers are also excellent for cutting for a beautiful, fragrant springtime arrangement indoors. Bulb size 8/10. Height: 45cm (18"). Spread: 15cm (6").
Useful links:
View 4 for 3 bulbs range How to grow bulbs, corms and tubersMore info
Narcissus 'Sun Disc'
Jonquilla DaffodilA charming Jonquilla daffodil with numerous, perfectly rounded, button-like blooms per stem. Starting out lemon-yellow, the outer petals of Narcissus 'Sun Disc' gradually fade to rich cream, surrounding canary-yellow cups in the centre. Flowering in mid-spring, this sweetly scented daffodil has been awarded an RHS AGM and looks fabulous planted in groups in borders, rock gardens, window boxes and containers, where the fragrance can be appreciated up close. Also makes a delightful cut flower. Bulb size 8/10. Height: 20cm (8"). Spread: 10cm (4").
Useful links:
View 4 for 3 bulbs range How to grow bulbs, corms and tubersMore info
Narcissus 'Peach Cobbler'
Narcissus bulbocodium 'Golden Bells'
Hoop-Petticoat DaffodilIt's easy to see why this narcissus is commonly called the Hoop Petticoat Daffodil! The enlarged, golden trumpets of this vigorous variety create a distinctive display with excellent weather resistance. For a dramatic spring spectacle, grow them in bold drifts naturalised in grass, where their delicate blooms will be a harbinger of spring for years to come. Narcissus flowers are also excellent for cutting for a lovely springtime arrangement indoors. Height: 20cm (8"). Spread: 10cm (4"). Bulb size: 7/8.
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Narcissus bulbocodium
Hoop-Petticoat DaffodilA fascinating dwarf Narcissus with rounded, flaring cups that give it the common name of Hoop-Petticoat daffodil. This neat little daffodil is distinctly different from its larger cousins, producing single blooms on individual stems that appear above clumps of grass like foliage. Narcissus bulbocodium is perfect for growing in rockeries and alpine gardens or naturalised in lawns for a vibrant spring display. Height: 20cm (8"). Spread: 10cm (4"). Bulb size 6/7. More info
Narcissus 'Cheerfulness'
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Narcissus 'Cheerfulness Duo'
As their name suggests, these two RHS Award of Garden Merit daffodils will certainly cheer up your spring garden! Boasting a glorious sweet fragrance and up to 3 flowers per stem Narcissus 'Cheerfulness Duo' adds a lovely splash of colour and fragrance to spring borders and containers. The elegant blooms also make superb cut flowers for the home too. Height: 40cm (16"). Spread: 15cm (6").
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Narcissus 'Pueblo'
Jonquilla DaffodilSumptuously scented, this pretty Jonquilla daffodil produces creamy-white petals which surround a subtle, lemon-yellow cup. Twice the size of traditional variety 'Silver Chimes', the blooms of Narcissus 'Pueblo' are borne in sprays with multiple flowers per stem for a really full display! For a dramatic and fragrant spring spectacle, group this daffodil in borders and containers. Narcissus flowers are also excellent for cutting for a lovely springtime arrangement indoors. Bulb size 8/10. Height: 30cm (12"). Spread: 15cm (6").
Useful links:
View 4 for 3 bulbs range How to grow bulbs, corms and tubersMore info
Narcissus 'Raffles'
DaffodilLayer upon layer of curled and ruffled petals fill the centres of these sumptuous blooms. The fully double flowers of this unique daffodils release a punchy sweet fragrance that lingers in the spring air. Narcissus 'Raffles' is certain to attract attention in your borders and prized patio pots, and makes a wonderful cut flower too. Height: 45cm (18"). Spread: 15cm (6"). Bulb size 12+. More info