User Comments - bababardwan

Posted on: The Magic Word 让 (Ràng)

Thanks Connie for posting the sentences used in the podcast.It's great to get the confirmation.It's strange but I had posted my attempt at the last few sentences at the time ,but I've just noticed they're not there any more.Oh well,the practice did me good anyway :)

I find it interesting that gong1 in 公司 and gong1 in 工作 are pronounced the same and have somewhat related meanings but are different characters.Coincidence or historical etymological link?

Posted on: Chinatomy: Iconic Tunes and Hairy Crabs

It seems money and watches etc are not the only counterfeit items available.Yang cheng lake hairy crabs can also be counterfeit as shown in this article here.However the article is from 2003.I wonder what the situation is now in determining if it's genuine Yang Cheng Lake hairy crabs ?

Posted on: Food Regions of China

matt_c,

Thanks fellow Aussie for your advice and pics.I have read that Suzhou is just south west of Yang Cheng Lake where the best hairy crabs come from.Have you tried them? I found an interesting article about them here.

Posted on: Table for Three

is duo1jiu3 correct? Because in the listen and type questions,one of the answers wont accept this.

Posted on: Table for Three

yes,I also agree with the natural speed in the dialogue.More realistic and then it's balanced out by Ken and Jenny going throught it line by line at a slower pace for anything you've missed.It's always worth listening a few times anyway to reinforce things.

Posted on: Food Regions of China

ezweig,

Thanks for that.While I enjoyed the simplification given in the podcast into compass points which summed things up nicely,I too was curious about the eight great traditions.

Posted on: The Perfect Sandwich

Yeah,sandwich was named after an English Earl of Sandwich.Some extra tidbits from wikipedia:

It was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an 18th-century English aristocrat, although he was neither the inventor nor sustainer of the food. It is said that Lord Sandwich was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to continue playing cards, particularly cribbage, while eating without getting his cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands.^[7]

With such British connections,I have to agree with mikeinnewshot that we can't question what they put on their sangers[but I love the humour of the dialogue and esp. the tones the hubby was giving;outrageous and a braver man than I ].I'm not a big fan of cucumbers,but when sliced thinly and made the way the Brits make it,it can be quite refreshing.The classic monty python spam skit is here.

Posted on: Food Regions of China

Shanghai sheng jian bao:

Jiao hua ji [beggars chicken]:

Beggars chicken [apparently eaten on the winter solstice] in clay :

salt wrapped version of beggars chicken [also requiring mallet to open] here.

Posted on: Food Regions of China

Ma La Tang 麻辣汤:

Goat cheese,Yunnan style:

Pic of banana flower salad from Vietnam [couldn't find a pic from Yunnan] here.

Recipe for banana flower salad with pics of preparation here.

Came across this interesting old saying:

An old Chinese saying indicates how highly the cuisine of the Guangzhou ( Canton ) area is regarded:

"To be born in Suzhou
to live in Hangzhou
to eat in Guangzhou
and to die in Liuzhou "

I'm wondering what's behind the rest of the saying.

Dim sum:

char siew:

ha gau:

Shanghai hong shao rou:

Posted on: Stupid Doctor

Cassielin,

Thanks for your transcribing;very helpful.

Funny story;bit of a classic.

Is yi1sheng1 the most common way of saying doctor? I have also heard of dai4fu,but I've heard that one of them is more historical and seldom used now [?the latter].I think yi1sheng1 sounds better as dai4fu sounds a little bit too much like "die fool". [Well if Chinese can be superstitious about the sounds of words,then...].Actually I've known of a doctor called Dr Death.Naturally he changed the way it was pronounced.lol.Also a Dr Blood,a Dr Careless [also changed pronunciation ].hehe.