User Comments - RJ

Posted on: Marco Polo in China

The best thing for MPS is ibuprofen.

Posted on: Marco Polo in China

This lesson also brings to mind other such visitors, not necessarily early, but those active in China during periods when few other westerners were. One that has always stood out for me was Edgar Snow. Snow was an American journalist who fell in love with China in the 1930's and wrote about China for years, including many books such as "Red star over China." After his death, his ashes were divided. Half were spread in the US and the other half in China. Getting the Chinese half through customs might be tough, but hey who's up for it?

Posted on: Toothache

Bodawei,

Spills contribute but industrial and agricultural pollution, natural contamination, pestisides and fertilizers, as well as inadequate waste treatment and drinking water treatment leads to a situation where many cities dont pass the national potable water standards. Data is hard to come by but I will send you something. If you are drinking the water for extended periods I would suggest using an activated charcoal filter in addition to boiling. The water does vary so if you can get data on local water or have some tested then you would know for sure. It is a priority of the Chinese govt to clean up the water but it will take some time. In additon to a lot of pollution the treatment facilities dont have the technology, are not run properly, or are just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water that must be treated. Brita filters are cheap but so is bottled water. I drink beer when in China.

btw- fluoride is still used most cities in the US

Posted on: Toothache

Hi bodawei,

Ok, I broke down and looked it up since you have failed me here :-). China does not add fluoride to its water supply. Hong Kong does. China did experiment with fluoridation briefly in Guangzhou. Water fluoridation began in 1965, interrupted during 1976–1978 due to the shortage of sodium silico-fluoride, resumed only in the Fangcun district of the city, and was halted in 1983 due to objections.

As for boiling water, if local flora (bacteria) were the only problem, this would be an adequate solution. In fact, I was interested in training my body to be resistant to such bacteria so I could drink and eat without concern in China, but the biggest problem with Chinese tap water is not the bacteria, its chemical contamination. This is NOT removed by boiling. I would be interested in your straw poll however.

Posted on: A Member of the 'Moonlight Clan'

Yue guang zu(月光族)”moonlight clan” refers to the type of people who spend all their earnings every month．The two characters yue(月)and guang(光)in the phrase have nothing to do with the moon or light but mean yue yue hua guang(月月花光) “monthly income completely gone”. The character zu(族)stands for a large group of people or a clan. As John says - in the US we call it "normal".

Posted on: Toothache

Calkins I think cleaning pretty much caught on here in the states in the early sixties. Before that it was rare in the US as well. Do they promote flossing at least? I thought everyone in TW had red teeth due to those betel nuts. :-) Have you tried this stuff?

Posted on: Toothache

I dont think its the evil coca cola. I never cared much for pop (coke) as a kid but I had my share of cavities and a sadistic dentist with a slow drill to go with. I think candies and other sweets that leave a starchy residue on the teeth are more harmful. Today they coat the teeth of young people with sealants to prevent cavities and they work very well. I would have traded a finger for that stuff. BTW- do they add fluoride to the water in China? I guess there may not be much point when everybody drinks bottled water.

Posted on: Dreams of the Departed 陇西行

Tim,

interesting comment. PWP was definitely a gem. I saved them all so I can revisit them periodically as my knowledge of Chinese grows. I'm sure these small treasures will endlessly bear new fruit upon each new reading. The gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately PWP did not fit the cpod model of high frequency language so they pulled the plug on it sooner than many would have liked. Somewhat puzzling since it was popular and it didn't replace or interfere with the teaching of high frequency language, but was in addition to it.

Posted on: Toothache

"is it safe"?

Posted on: The Third Tone

sometimes they do change, see the following lessons on the rules that guide these changes.

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-rule-two-third-tones

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-change-rule-yi-%E4%B8%80

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/tone-rule-changes-for-bu