WeChat has a voice message function that allows you to press a button and record your message. For the uninitiated, this is just another way of sending messages that’s interchangeable with text messages. However, sending a voice message on WeChat is considered obnoxious in the Chinese professional world, and usually only tolerated if it is … Continue reading Why Sending WeChat Voice Messages is a Status Symbol
4 Philosophies Underlying the WeChat Mini-Program – Lessons from the Father of WeChat
The man who built WeChat, China’s No.1 communication tool with 877 million daily users, rarely appears in public. The 47-year-old Allen Zhang (Zhang Xiaolong) is a low-profile, chain-smoking, and hardcore programmer who prefers to let his product speak for itself. However, last December, WeChat held its own version of the WWDC in Guangzhou, where Zhang … Continue reading 4 Philosophies Underlying the WeChat Mini-Program – Lessons from the Father of WeChat
Beijing is Big
How big is Beijing? Let me count the ways. It’s land area is equivalent to 156 Parises, 20 New York Cities, 10 Londons, and is bigger than the entire state of Connecticut. Countries that are smaller than Beijing include Qatar, Jamaica, and Lebanon. It has 20 million people—which is more than the population of New … Continue reading Beijing is Big
There’s Nothing to See Where I Come From
When I’m asked about my hometown, the conversation usually goes like this. American: Where are you from? Me: China. American: Oh cool! Which city? I’ve been to Beijing. Me: I’m from the northeast. American: (losing interest upon knowing that I’m not from either Beijing or Shanghai) Ok! So it’s close to Beijing? Me: Not really, … Continue reading There’s Nothing to See Where I Come From
A Guide to Using WeChat Emojis
It is very difficult to talk to Chinese people without using emojis. Whenever a Chinese friend Facebook messages me, I feel compelled to reply with WeChat because there are messages and nuances that can only be expressed with emojis that only exist on WeChat. The difference between emojis on Chinese and Western apps can shed … Continue reading A Guide to Using WeChat Emojis
Warm Water
I still remember the day when I realized that the concept of “warm water” does not exist in America. On a brisk winter morning my freshman year, I stepped into Au Bon Pain and asked if I could have a cup of warm water. The waitress looked at me as if I had said those words … Continue reading Warm Water
Zara Zhang 