User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Keeping and Leaving

Hi alexlexilu

I take it you visited Chengdu fairly recently?

My memory of the Chengdu buses is that it does refer to not carrying flammable material in the Chinese spiel (when I go I rarely get on a bus). We perhaps need a Chengdu poddie to confirm.

The reason is that someone took something flammable on a bus, there was a fire and I believe someone died. Not too long ago; I'm sure if you Google you'll get the whole story.

Posted on: Job Shopping in Modern China

I like the expression 跳槽, and the photo to go with it.  And that IS 惯用语 I imagine.  It could also be called a borrow-word (from English) but the interesting thing is that it is like a bad borrow.  We don't talk about hopping from trough to trough - in English the 'trough' has an entirely different (kind of adverse) connotation.  As in 'snouts in the trough'. 

Posted on: Job Shopping in Modern China

It is! Okay, we know it is not 成语, but is it 俗语 or 惯用语? I am going to go with 俗语.

All this talk of 成语 - we're all going to have to get educated. :)

Posted on: Can't Get a Taxi

Just assume you are paying for their inconvenience ..

This unusually high level of honesty and decency applies generally in China (in my experience)... the worst behaviour one can expect (in ultra busy times/ in 'tourist traps') is them demanding 20 RMB to open the door to let you in.

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

Thanks for getting that for me - I am definitely not a character etymologist either. For 泰 I'm going to forget my theorising and just go with 'peace' (or safe and tranquil) so 泰康路 on this reading just puts together the nice positive sounding words 泰 and 康.

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

I will support you - I might even have a scenario or two. I left my wallet in a taxi the other night and discovered that I could do with a bit of help! :)

1. how to book a public announcement to all taxis ovr their radios (3 broadcasts cost you 80 RMB but it is useful if you don't have a 车票 and you think the driver might be unaware of your loss.)

2. Similarities and differences between the taxi companies.

3. The rationale for the name plate (my guy was travelling without an ID).

4. How to handle a situation when you are half way through a trip and the 计价机 has not ticked over, and the driver now wants to negotiate a price because the meter is broken.

5. Discussing how you want to have a bit of a sightseeing tour - the driving equivalent of 逛街 .. ?

6. Talking to your driver about how you don't think it is a good idea to shove CDs into his number plate to avoid the speeding cameras, or to travel in the 'trucks only' lane at 110 kph.

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

Hey John

I hate to take up your time but I have a supplementary question - you said the street name comes from 太康县 (Taikang County). So, the homonyms 泰 and 太: I can see that they share a meaning [my original post speculated that maybe 泰 means 太], but is this more than coincidence? Is 泰 for instance an old form of 太? How does the street name 泰康路 'come from' the county name 太康县?

I can recall other homonyms with the same meaning - what is the historical reason for this do you think? It seems to me (guessing) that the way Chinese developed from an oral form could well lead to different characters being used in different places to represent the same sound and meaning.

See how we all miss Changye? :)

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

The photo of orange scooters (are they 电动车？) does suggest 'taxi' but I can't say it's something I have ever seen. The standard motorbike taxi is a conventional petrol-engined motorbike - those fancy helmets, and the off-carriageway parking say 'Beijing' to me, could be wrong. :) 'Real' motorbike taxis are usually located at the kerb of major intersections.

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

That article on motorbike taxis is indeed interesting and rich in irony. They are blamed for 'jamming' the traffic - the huge black SUVs are miraculously no problem at all. In fact the motor car industry, a pillar industry, receives generous subsidies funded by the workers. The motorbike industry receives none. They are practical transport for the poor but this strata of society has no clout in Beijing. They used to attack motorbikes for being polluting but it appears that they have dropped that line. The essential arguments can be explained in terms of class. And face. Motorbikes are viewed as embarrassingly third world.

Posted on: Help Calling a Cab

I do. but there is an interesting outcome of the rules in this respect in some cities, including Shanghai: I think the three wheeled version gets the nod "because it is like a car". I was told that they grew up as a way to get around the rules. I kinda agree with the Chinese authorities about those trikes; they look fun but you may as well be driving a car. :)

There may be more to it; trikes are also used by the aged and disabled; they seem to be an exception in most if not all cities.

Bikes with sidecar have a bit more credibility but I would still prefer to be on two wheels.