User Comments - RJ

Posted on: Getting Married in China

The Groom must have a house, a car, a good job, a college degree, and have enough money in the bank to rival most western retirement accounts. His parents pay for the wedding and may have to help him buy this house. The brides family pays to furnish the house and somebody pays for all these wedding pictures and change of clothing, all of which is not cheap. In a country where capitalism is a fairly recent thing and being flush with cash pretty rare I would think, how do they do it? And having a girlfriend is only a prerequisite to possible marriage, well that means no house no girlfriend either. No wonder the guys arent smiling much. Is it really that tough?

Posted on: By Myself, So Alone

I dont see the problem with the personification of an animal's oneness. Personification of animals is common. The literal meaning of the expression "yi ge ren" has morphed a bit. Language does this. Or do the Chinese have dogs and people mixed up? Soon all dogs in Shanghai will be home alone, as Shanghai expands its one child policy to include pets. More or less:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/shanghai-bites-back-against-dog-attacks-with-onepet-policy-2225129.html

http://www.pawnation.com/2011/02/24/shanghai-enacts-controversial-one-dog-policy/

Oh, but there is a grandfather clause. Or should that be Dogfather clause?

Posted on: Old China Hand

I didnt mean to sound negative here baba. It may be as I said, but never am I offended. Rarely are things said with less than honorable intent in China,, when making small talk to a foreigner. Usually I am asked: How many times have you been to China? How many "other" cities in China have you seen? How often do you come? How long do you usually stay? Do you like Chinese food? If you answer correctly and then unexpectedly produce a clever thought in Chinese, tones and all, they sometimes break out the "China hand" thing. Its always in good spirit, even if they are ribbing you , just a little. Sometimes my fiends will say something like this when introducing me to someone new, letting them know in general the answer to all the standard questions in one fell swoop. It lets them know how "needy" you are in terms of hospitality. And I mean this in a good way. They will take especially good care of you, if they know its your first trip to China for example. It took me a while to "train" them to leave me alone some. I want to do things myself, to get lost and then find my way, to bumble and then recover, how else will you learn to be self-sufficient. And some things I want to do, they just don't understand. I would rather do those by myself, without trying to explain why I find it interesting. I don't need plans for the weekend, just turn me lose, I will enjoy. True satisfaction comes when they stop trying to compliment or patronize you. Then you are just a regular guy, one of them. I don't want to be a "China hand". I just want to be understood, independent, and self-sufficient.

Posted on: Old China Hand

I don't like the expression. It is often false flattery, or may even imply that you have MPS. On the other hand, they may be completely sincere, but China is far too big and complex for any one man to master. Most Chinese do not take this expression too seriously. It often comes with a short chuckle.

Posted on: Old China Hand

2号航站楼 èr hào háng zhàn lóu is what I have been using so èr hào lóu sounds like a reasonable truncation. If it gets you there, you got it right. You dont want to forget that one detail. Its a long walk from terminal 1 to terminal 2. In fact, I dont think you can walk. If I tell the doorman at the hotel, he usually mumbles something to the cab driver in Shanghainese. I can never catch it. Dēngjīlóu 登机楼 is also terminal. Any shortcuts are welcome.

Posted on: The Many Sounds of Chinese

I love the 嗯, 嗯, 嗯, phone calls. There is an economy of voice there one cant help but appreciate. We have many of these sound effects in English too, as John points out in his blog. Yes, no, and that one nobody can spell. The one that means, "I dont know". I think we have them beat with that one. And when the women"嗯", I think there is a hint of 撒娇 there. At least it sometimes sounds that way to me, a foreigner.

Posted on: Getting a License Plate

Sorry, no. Trust me, you wont want to drive, and getting around poses no problem (if you close your eyes).

Posted on: The Many Sounds of Chinese

嗯 takes some getting used to, but the Cpod sound crew does a great job. I have listened as the lesson material evolved from very humble beginings to the highly professional quality you hear today, and the sound crew has played a huge role. What stands out for me when in China are the sounds of telephones and traffic. As I walk through an office in China I hear the distinctive ring of their phones and the sound of horns and traffic through the open windows. You dont have to wait long to hear the sound of either, and they are quite distinctive reminders of where you are.

Posted on: Eating Idioms, Part 3

baba,

I think that is what we call a "senior moment". I am kidding you, of course. I think this happens in all languages, but you and I are more likely to mistake "shang" for "xiang" than a Chinese native. Or are we? Im sure the linguists have some fancy technical term for this, if not, John can invent one. For now, we can call it a "retro-contextual realization" (RCR).

Posted on: Eating Idioms, Part 3

Sometimes they are funny, sometimes not, but the Chinese instruction is usually good. It has to be an incredibly hard thing to do, keeping it instructional and keeping it funny, especially when what one finds funny often depends on one's own personal experiences. I for one think they do a stellar job. If it isnt exactly your cup of tea, it likely will be next week. Either way, QW adds a wonderful dimension to the rest of the lesson material. Five stars from me also.

Speaking of crickets, is there an analogous expression in Chinese?