Real world samples

Haha, you're right. Actually the worst I have seen was posted by a Western male employer - a notice posted in a public place said that the job would go to a pretty young Chinese woman.

Anyone else under the impression that 真/眞 is more frequently seen in people's names in Taiwan than both the mainland and HK? If so does anyone know of a reason why that may be? It is very frequently seen in Japanese names male and female as well as surnames, has at least four different frequent readings. I think it's also frequently used in Korean people's names.

Yeah, 很curvy. :) 女的，台湾人。 出生五十，六十年代。

这个很酷。 Now that I think about it I never cursivify the 真 to that extent, and it's interesting to see an example of it being done.

This one is to demonstrate the natural cursive style - the name is 'translated' in block characters below the natural version.

notice the blue sky - remember, 250 days of the year. :)

什么什么‘tea house' - just thought I'd point out for educational purposes, 'tea house' is a euphemism. I have never seen a tea house here that is not a place for playing majiang. :) Tea is an optional extra. The closest minor street to my house has 12 'tea houses' over a length of about 200 metres. There are more tea houses than hairdressers. :)

'我刚才给这个饭店打电话。。。我要订桌子。。。真可惜， 他们告诉我。。今后外国人不能在这里吃饭因为最近有一个非常奇怪的澳大利亚人在那里烦死了。。糟糕！我要知道这个澳大利亚人是谁？你知道吗'

I am chuckling to myself here .. thinking of you calling to book a table.. my God you should give it a go, say you'll be there as 'soon as you can'. 马上！马上！ (That will be small compensation for all the times I've been told 马上! :)

I don't think I'm too much of a bother but I just had an altercation at the Post Office when buying some boxes - they were 9 rmb yesterday and today they are 11 rmb! This was a little friendly to and fro (obviously they made a mistake yesterday) and then she abruptly said 是十一块。。 要不要？你不要，算了！ Obviously she had had enough of this foreigner arguing over 2 rmb. :) I paid up because I always have a good time at the Post Office and find the staff really good.

Anyway, I think you might end up knowing this place better than I do, although the maps are a bit dated compared to Google Earth; shops change fast in China.

And I'm usually found eating at the restaurants that have 铁路 as their address. :) Just 铁路. At least I can't forget the address.

Haha - Baba you are priceless. :) Really, that is very clever.

I actually haven't eaten there - it was a recommendation but I haven't got around to it. Hey, it is a busy life getting around all the restaurants here! Nice find BTW, I use the maps myself sometimes to locate a restaurant. The 'maps' app is a curious mix of English and Chinese; the English of course is useless - I think the Chinese are anxious to have an English name in the belief that it makes it more accessible to foreigners. Trouble is the foreigner will never find the place if they rely on an English name.

我刚才给这个饭店打电话。。。我要订桌子。。。真可惜， 他们告诉我。。今后外国人不能在这里吃饭因为最近有一个非常奇怪的澳大利亚人在那里烦死了。。糟糕！我要知道这个澳大利亚人是谁？你知道吗？

哈哈，不是。。。其实我错了： 路【不是璐】。。我打错了。。。还有我另外的错是： 不是在易门大酒店。。是在易门大酒店的旁边。。

订餐电话： 零八七一八三三六三零零

omg！神探

【二楼】

。。所以其实是在菱角塘璐

易们大酒店的旁边：

589号：

易门县的易门

看起来这个大酒店是在西山区和盘龙区之间，从昆明机场往西北七八公里，对吧？

易们大酒店

I can't crack that character either - I think I know what it is (from checking it against how she writes 酒in 酒店) - it comes up in the radical side of my electronic dictionary but I can't find it I'll in the regular dictionary. i'll try to find out.

You would think that men with those name would be older - but from my limited experience it was still popular much later; men as young now as mid-40s.

Hi Bodawei what's the hotel name?

Oh and why did I think these men named 立国 and 建国 or some other names with the 国 character were a bit older than me? More like 出生于1950年代? Am I thinking of something else?

Right on, zhenlijiang (I have a feeling I won't be getting anything past you).

风情宫 is the name of the restaurant - it is 香格里拉菜 - my pinyin notation at the bottom almost gives it away， it is also referred to as 西藏的。

'同年代的男人之间“建国”这个名字也很多'

正确的。。 聪明得很。 立国是建国的意思。 男的，出生六十，七十年代。

香格里拉 The restaurant is Shangri-la, the place on 近华浦路 Jin Hua Pu Road that 风情宫 looks like a palace, ?? 大酒店旁边 right by the ??--aiyo what's that first char-- Hotel? If that 香 were standing alone I would never be able to read it.

Is the second char in the person's given name 国? I wonder if the first char is 立?　同年代的男人之间“建国”这个名字也很多，对不对。

This is by two native Chinese. 1. at the top is a name - you should be able to guess both the sex and age range approximately, from the name.

2. A friend jotted directions for a restaurant - this is a very typical format for an address, A .. near .. B.