User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: The North Has Central Heating

I think it is okay, false alarm.  Maybe a very slow connection.  I see something now, like a bad moon rising.  :-)

Posted on: The North Has Central Heating

Chanelle

The photo doesn't come up for me. I switched to Flickr too - maybe check the process? (Have you posted photos before?  I found you have to go to the size options, choose a suitable one and then use that url.  Hope that helps.)

 PS. I also found out what a 'ceramic' radiator heater is - the centre of the radiator is ceramic and the heated coils are wound around it.  A friend from South Africa says that they have them there too.  

Posted on: Celebrating the New Year with Visitors

I just want to share Barbs enthusiasm about the 三字经.  Look at these few lines (from the Wikipaedia link, I hope that it is correct): 

人之初 (rén zhī chū) People at birth,

性本善 (xìng běn shàn) Are naturally good.

性相近 (xìng xiāng jìn) Their natures are similar,

習相遠 (xí xiāng yuǎn) Their habits make them different.

These few lines point to a fundamental difference in Chinese and Western cultures. Even young people often refer to this difference in our world views.   

Posted on: Going to the Pharmacy

@stevemisch

You're not doing a little advertising are you？  Tch, tch.  You think we're going to forgive you because you're a doctor?  

Anyway I forgive you because you sound like my old GP (a little) - his line was '95% of 'colds' aren't colds; they are allergic reactions to something'.  Then 'Have you got coloured mucus?  If not, don't worry.'  Or something like that.  

I could talk all day about various ailments - I have needed some serious consultations in weird places in China. Each hospital visit has been a language learning opportunity.  As you are advertising, how much is a standard consultation with 'a doctor like they're used to in their home country？‘  

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

@barbs

I can honestly say that no-one has ever explained that to me before.  I am full of admiration for someone that can retain such things.  Our family (blame the parents) is singularly uninterested in other parts of the family。 I can remember only one Christmas when the cousins got together (we all got the same little plastic cameras as Xmas presents.)  I think that there was sibling rivalry at work on one side and then my mother was an only child; I think she had issues with other peoples' families per se. So now I will be able to impress other peoples' families with my family tree vocab - my own family, sadly, will say 'whatever'.

Chinese - I think Changye said that there is no equivalent expression.  They are more interested in differentiating pecking order (the vertical dimension) than lateral relationships.     

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

Hi Changye

I'd rather hear it from barbs, but I believe that is your 'second cousin' in English.  And their child is your third cousin. Hope I have that right.  

Incidentally Changye, I hope you show respect to the local police and remember to address the male members of the force shushu?  

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

@barbs

Happy New Year and nice avatar avatar BTW...

What's interesting in China is that people seem to KNOW their extended family.  Maybe because we are so mobile in Australia we lose touch - I wouldn't know my cousins' children if I passed them in the street.  Or even at a family gathering.  

We were on an outing in the hills with a Chinese friend when we chanced upon someone who apparently was our friend's mother's cousin.  She just called her 阿姨 āyí (aunty)。 Interestingly 现代汉语词典 has this as meaning 母亲的姐妹 (the mother of sisters)。Perhaps this assumes the convention of calling ones cousins as sisters?  But why not brothers as well?  Can anyone shed some light? (I hope the answer is not in the lesson; I haven't actually listened yet.)  

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

@helen, orangina

I also use 干儿子 and 干女儿 to refer to unrelated people who are effectively part of our extended family.  (I don't actually call them that - just refer to them as such to explain our relationship.)  They call me 爸爸 .. 

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

John

Thanks for that tip.  I should be a little less lazy and do some third party research on the odd occasions that I put on a suit.  

Posted on: Addressing Family Members

I remember having this 请问您怎么称呼? shortly after starting to learn Chinese but I have never used it.  Really it is all too 麻烦 (difficult.)  I use (in all cases rarely) 弟弟 (versatile, for any male noticeably younger than me down to a baby), 妹妹 (any woman noticeably younger than me down to a baby), 姐姐 (only my own sister,  very rarely, as a joke), 女士 (polite form for a mature woman I don't know), 老板 for a female shopkeeper.  For men it is either 师傅，老板, or an actual name.  In fact, 98% of the time I address anyone I use actual full names, even for people I know well.  I don't think that Chinese people expect foreigners to learn titles, and they like discussing family and given names.  Even Chinese people are confused by titles.  

A new year resolution is to learn more names, and work on it (must do a post on that.)