This Week: AI Agents, Plastic Mesh, and Visa Renewal Adventures

Are AI agents really coming for our jobs? What’s with all the green mesh covering Beijing? And what’s it really like renewing a visa in China?

Oh, and have a safe Dragon Boat Festival long weekend!

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This Week’s Videos

1. 🤖 The AI Agents Ain’t Taking Over (Yet!) – What do future interpreters think about their job security in an AI-powered world? 📹 Watch here
2. 🌱 What’s the Green Stuff? – From the airport to the fields: the mystery of China’s plastic mesh and its environmental role. 📹 Watch here
3. 🛂 Renewing the Visa – Bureaucracy, stamps, and very tidy public offices: a peek into the visa renewal process in China. 📹 Watch here
4. 🐉 Happy Dragon Boat Festival! – The story of sticky rice dumplings, Qu Yuan, and a uniquely Chinese cultural tradition. 📹 Watch here

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🤖 The AI Agents Ain’t Taking Over (Yet!)

Had an interesting talk with two graduate students—both studying Spanish to become interpreters and translators (in addition to Chinese and English). I asked if AI tools like ChatGPT or DeepSeek worry them. Their answer? Not really. They’re learning to use those tools in class. And when it comes to high-level work—think legal settings or international conferences—humans still have the edge. AI may take the low-level jobs, but the top-tier work is (for now) safe.

So, what do you think? Are AI agents overhyped or a real threat?

📹 Watch here

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🌱 What’s the Green Stuff?

If you’ve ever flown into Beijing and seen green fabric covering open fields, you’re not alone in wondering what it does and why it's there. It’s everywhere, especially in the winter time.

But what is it?

This fabric-like mesh helps fight desertification and keeps dust down during Beijing’s infamous windstorms. You’ll see it stretched across farmland and dry areas, especially as summer begins. It may not be pretty, but it plays a crucial role in preserving topsoil across Northern China.

📹 Watch here

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🛂 Renewing the Visa

Living abroad has its perks—but it also comes with paperwork. Each year, foreigners working in China have to visit the PSB (Public Security Bureau) to renew their visa. That means a lot of forms, a lot of stamps, and very careful attention to detail. Miss one document? You’re doing it all over again.

The good news?

These offices are well-organized, clean, and staffed with helpful workers. Still, it’s a reminder that expat life isn’t all noodles and night markets.

📹 Watch here

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🐉 Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

It’s that time of year! Dragon Boat Festival, or Duan Wu Jie, is being celebrated across China. While dragon boat races happen here and there, the real highlight is the Zongzi—sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. Sweet or salty (you never really know which), these seasonal snacks commemorate the ancient poet Qu Yuan, who threw himself into a lake in protest during the Warring States period. Locals tossed Zongzi into the river to keep fish and spirits away. History, culture, and a snack all in one!

(Last year I made the point of saying 端午安康 (duānwǔ ānkāng), which means "Have a safe Dragon Boat", which is a little more appropriate than saying "Happy Dragon Boat Festival" as it does commemorate a sad event.)

📹 Watch here

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