User Comments - AuntySue
AuntySue
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 11, 2008 at 11:14 AMIt was really helpful to hear stories about being in China from someone who doesn't know any Mandarin. There's bound to be times when the brain freezes, and we could find ourselves in similar communication gaps. If he can get around, surely any of us can, no matter how little of the language we seem to know!
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 11, 2008 at 11:11 AMOK, OK, apparently there is worse in the world. THIS is what I can't handle: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Pit-toilet.jpg It's somewhere in Tunisia apparently. I can hardly look at it without feeling dizzy. Dangling anatomy over slimy tiles isn't so bad after all. Or I could just stay at home.
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 11, 2008 at 10:31 AMThanks, I suppose I just have to believe you that it works, and think positive. How wide is the target? You know, someone could do a roaring trade in practical toilet lessons! I'd pay, for sure. It must be awful for people who are sick and feeble, or have arthritis, or one leg, or sunburn, a bad back, or a huge stomach (baby or beer).
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 11, 2008 at 9:43 AMWhat makes these toilets really scary is that, probably for reasons of delicacy, the information always stops short of the aspects that are most worrying. For example, if you're a woman doing a number one, how do you aim? I mean, it's not like you can just... well... um... we can't handle it like men can. There's no way to answer that politely, so it never gets answered. Or asked. So that boosts the ever-increasing visions of where it's all gonna try to go, how I'm gonna try to stop it, how spectacularly those efforts will fail, and what the poor woman next door will do if she catches me afterwards. Sorry to be gross, but I'd rather be gross in text than in real life! There might be one or two other women with the same secret fears.
Posted on: Preparing for the Heat
January 9, 2008 at 12:57 PMI had ya both pegged as in or around Melbourne, having heard your recent weather reports and dreading it moving North. At least you get cooler nights down there, I seem to recall, not round the clock steady heat like Sydney. It's now 25 degrees but it's midnight, damn it, and impossible to sleep yet again. Maybe I'll try the bath. The thought of competing in sports in 40 degrees, or even being in large olympic crowds, seems bizarre. Are there any pictures of those arm coverings and face shades people are talking about?
Posted on: Ordering Chinese Take-out
January 2, 2008 at 1:27 PMThanks, yes that makes sense. I think my head was too far into the take away idea to parse the sentence properly :-) When we order at "the local Chinese take away", or any cheap or cafe style place, they ask "eat here, or take away?" In more up market restaurants where people are encouraged to sit down, they usually ask "eat in, or take away?" instead. When we phone through an order, they ask "Is that for home delivery or pickup?" if they provide both.
Posted on: Ordering Chinese Take-out
January 2, 2008 at 11:50 AMningmeng, re the typo alert, when I first read that sentence it didn't sound like English at all, but after a few hours I started to see how it works, the "in" is not superfluous, it is part of "to order". If you're talking about "every day" that is correct, it's supposed to be two words. If you're talking about the meaning of the verb "to order in", I can't figure out what it means but it looks like it's written correctly in the sentence. I think it's likely to be a USA expression. Maybe someone could explain? Is there "to order in" and "to order out"? And if so, in and out of what, home or restaurant?
Posted on: Ordering Chinese Take-out
January 1, 2008 at 2:22 AMAh, it's about Chinese take-away! I must have been watching too many thug movies lately, because it sounded like some gang boss wanted to take out the Chinese restaurant. :-)
Posted on: New Year's Song
December 31, 2007 at 12:38 PMlinguisticpotato said: "Chipmunks!!! ... Ah. Nevermind. It's gone." See, that proves it. Chipmunks are really naughty spirits that make it play too fast. When you call them by name, they flee in terror. Happy 2008 everybody!
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 12, 2008 at 9:57 AMOK, I tried getting into the squatting position on my own toilet, a dry run to test out the idea. It wasn't too bad at all, something I could get used to. But my original concern rose again. For number two, it seems ideal, because everything lines up nicely. For number one, though, I seemed to be aiming straight ahead at the wall in front of me. Am I deformed, or am I doing it wrong?