It was a surprise visit from Xinhua last month that triggered us re-evaluating our roll-out-of-bed policy in favor of something a bit more corporate. Because while we don't particularly mind getting a reputation as the most disheveled podcasting crew in China, it's quite another thing when video rears its head and everyone has to see us on national television. Which was why we told our staff to make liberal use of the shower. And we really didn't expect the move to backfire so badly.

Learning Chinese? In this elementary Chinese podcast we focus on a single word that more than any other illustrates the total contempt the Chinese language holds for what other natural languages consider the sensible distinction between past, present and future. Useful whether you're just saying hello or telling someone you're a bit busy, this word is different from anything we have in English. So listen in and master it. And we hope you like the show.