jamesinchina.com

One of Italy's most visited tourist attractions is a lot more appetizing in Mandarin - 'The leaning tower of Pizza' (比萨斜塔). Odd how bits and bobs of western culture make their way into China and end up a little distorted.

My friends find it weird that you can get drunk on Guinness - to them it's a book of records.

To most Chinese a 'Café' isn't the quiet little Parisian nook where you can read a book and chat to friends, but a towering monstrosity somewhat similar to a 5* hotel with six people to open the door for you (it's a two storey steel and glass door).

The Union Jack isn't a national flag, it's a clothing brand.  A straw poll revealed that less than half of girls wearing Britain's flag across their chest know what it was.  Still less those with it emblazoned on their bottoms - lucky we're not as prickly as the Chinese about our national pride, I wouldn't like to wander around with the Chinese flag stitched to my bum.