The 'Fear Factor' of Chinese tests, the sit-down-break-out-in-a-sweat test, the kind of test those standing-naked-at-the-front-of-the-class nightmares are made of. An essay in Chinese characters you say? By hand? Oh ho ho, that's just the beginning. Takers of the HSK test, we bow down to you. Aspirers, sacrifice yourself on the altar of books and prepare for a case of writer's cramp only 10 pages of handwritten Chinese characters can bring. Hear more to tempt you to HSK in this podcast. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0931

ChinesePod may be the only company in the world where employees can be legitimately reimbursed for buying knock-off DVDs (they were for Movie Madness, we promise). Though, admittedly, wrangling a receipt is sometimes a challenging endeavor. In this podcast, listen in and find out how to use your Mandarin Chinese to get reimbursed for your (likely) more legitimate expenses. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0651

You have an aversion to being poked? No problem! You can get suction cupped! The polka-dotted welts clash with your striped outfit? Get skin scraped! All this and more to look forward to on your next health check-up. Trips to the dentist seem like a holiday now. Learn all about these Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques here in this podcast. Then go out and get healed! Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0923

Incredible, unstoppable titan of terror! Mightiest monster! Mightiest melodrama of them all! Civilization crumbles as its death rays blast a city of twenty million from the face of the earth. The legend continues, in Mandarin Chinese... Godzilla arrives in Shanghai. Listen to this podcast... could it be our last??? Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0645

Yes, this is the same health class that deals with the facts of life, however, you will have to patiently sit through a passionate lesson on the circulatory system before you get to that one. In this podcast, learn about what makes your heart go aflutter in Mandarin Chinese. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0938

Rules of boss flattery: if you start complimenting your beer-bellied boss on his figure, he might catch on that you're just looking for a raise. Better to stick to his rugged good looks. In this podcast, a Mandarin lesson on how to use your Chinese charms to suck up. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0623

So much more than just the name of your favorite Chinese garden in Vancouver. Sun Yatsen is often considered the founder of modern China. With such an impressive title, surely us Chinese learners should learn a little more about him and what he stood for. You can, in this podcast. Learn about this famous figure in Chinese history in Mandarin. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0908

One never knows when one will find oneself in a game of pin the tail on the Chinese city. Get a head start on your Chinese topography. In a place where a city you've never even heard of can have the population equivalent to that of a small country, there is a lot to learn. Listen to this podcast and learn in Mandarin about some smaller (read: population 8 million) cities in China, and what the cityfolk are up to there. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0617

Confucius Says: Learning Mandarin is good for you. Confucius Says: You haven't lived till you've learned Chinese. Confucius Says: Stop being so lazy and get studying. The wisdom of Confucius is now available to us and our remedial Saved by the Gong class. Let's listen to this podcast as John and Jenny spout some pearls of wisdom of their own... And remember, if you don't know Confucius, you just might not know China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0894

Ah, the eternal question of what you want to be when you grow up. Said question, posed by well-meaning family members when you are in your third year of enjoying yourself loafing around Asia, starts to lose its charm. Now, if you don't want to go home, and you need a legit job to placate mom and dad, you can always adopt a Chinese uncle with 'guanxi' up his sleeve. In this podcast, listen and learn in Mandarin about post-graduation challenges in China. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0608