User Comments - SF_Rachel

Posted on: Applying for a Work Visa

Yay! Thanks for explaining the difference between 流程 and 过程 -- I've had both these words in my vocab deck for a while and they keep messing me up because I wasn't clear on the difference.

流程 = "process" / specific steps to complete something. Process in the sense of procedural. If I had a recipe for a special cake and my friend wanted me to show her how it's made, I'd teach her the process.

过程 = "process" / referring generally to everything that occurs between starting to do something and it being done as a single abstract thing. -- implies there are multiple actions but does not specifically refer to them. If my friend complemented me on a cake I baked and asked me if it was hard to make, I might say "it's only a moderately complicated process" and leave it at that.

Posted on: Saved by the Gong: Preparing for an Exam

This weirdly delighted me. I was reading an English translation of "The Story of the Stone" this past winter and I had noticed that the maids were always pummeling various members of the family (though if memory serves, mostly legs).

Posted on: Onomatopoeias

嘿嘿 was described as laughing slyly, but it sounded a bit like a trickter's laugh, like "ha ha, I got you!" Would it be at all comparable to English netspeak of "bwahaha" for the villain's laugh (especially when used tongue-in-cheek), even though of course it doesn't sound the same?

Posted on: A Qing Wen to Our Listeners

I absolutely love this idea! I'm working my way through the Story of the Stone (in translation) too, and see clues to how so much of Chinese culture assumes at least a basic awareness of the characters, major plot points, and key phrases.

Even a westerner who has never read (in the original or in translation) Homer, Dante, Cervantes, or Shakespeare will still instantly recognize something of Achilles' heel, the nine circles of Hell, what it means to "tilt at windmills" and the suggestion of witchcraft if the phrase "eye of newt" is uttered.

There must be a ton that I'm missing in Chinese. I would love a cPod version of Cliff's notes on the 四大名著。

Posted on: Focus and Specialization

Great tip, worked! Thanks so much, Chris.

Yes, I've had this problem off and on for several months too, where clicking "remove" on the main lesson page (and clearing my cache too, ahem) wasn't actually removing the lesson. But I guess until now I've caved in and marked lessons as studied (or in the case of News and Features and, sadly, BST) ended up unsubscribing from the lesson level to make the "subscribed" but otherwise unremovable lesson go away!

Since this was actually classified as a "lesson" I knew that if I marked it as "studied" it would end up in my tally of learned lessons for the level. I felt much more strongly that this really shouldn't count against my quota of learned lessons!

Posted on: Focus and Specialization

没办法吗？

Posted on: Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Art Institute of Chicago is deeply, deeply awesome. :-)

Is 讲解器 specifically an audio-only device, or can it be a little more content-agnostic 器? Is  讲解器 a broad enough term to also be any interpretive-aid multi-media device that combines audio with text, video, interactive/animated illustations, etc.?

What about software and content (like apps or podcasts), which I understand many institutions increasingly favor over hard-to-maintain and inventory hardware? Would 讲解程序 or 讲解播客 be acceptable?

I used to work in the museum biz but left it almost 15 years ago, just when the interpretation technology started getting interesting.

Posted on: Focus and Specialization

Yes, but no joy.

Posted on: Focus and Specialization

Anyone have any clues on how to remove this lesson from my dashboard? I've tried clicking "remove" but it doesn't do the job. Will I have to unsubscribe from the level for a week or something?

Of course, marking it as "studied" might work but I don't see that it should count towards my quota of lessons at this level.

Posted on: Preparing for Pain

Thanks for the quick response (and the validation), Greg!

Yay, I'm 听得懂ing! The UI lessons are always a stretch for me, especially the banter so I'll chalk this up as progress for me! Thanks ChinesePod -- I signed up back in June last year not being sure if the Elementary lessons were going to be too challenging for me and any progress since then is all thanks to Cpod.