User Comments - brendaninaus

Posted on: Pinyin Section 4: R

Continuing on on what xiaophil is saying in response to Mystic, they are definitely now teaching Pinyin in many (probably all) Chinese schools, but it is only a recent thing.

I notice in language exchange with Chinese friends that the older ones do not understand Pinyin at all (as do the Taiwanese, who are used to a different system). But some of my younger Chinese friends sometimes even read the Pinyin over the Chinese characters.

Posted on: What Would You Like to Eat?

Hi mikeinewshot,

If it is the French restaurant in Yangshou I went to when I was last there, there food might not be so French, but they do do a good French onion soup. One of the best I have ever tasted.

Posted on: Luke is Back! And So Are the Zombies!

Having just come back from a 4 week trip to China myself, I think the toffee like things were in many places. Usually it was many strawberrys on a kebab stick soaked in toffee. In Australia we have toffee apples, and I have seen it used for peaches but never for strawberries. But they wer in many cities in China (e.g. Nanjing, Kaifeng, Xian).

What I found surprising in the parts of China I visited on this trip (from Shanghai North) was the dominance of Muslim people in many of the food markets in the cities I visited. The reason why I was so surprised is that you usually associate pork as the main Chinese meat, which of course is not served my the Muslim market sellers. Although having said that, many of them still served alcohol so I am not sure how Halal they really were.

Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Halal

It's funny reading this as I am in Xian, where one of the best places to eat is the night market in the Muslim quarter. Kaifeng, my previous destination also had a large Muslim community which dominated the food stores at the night markets. I found this strange given the Chinese use so much pork in their food. Although some of the Muslim run food places did serve alcohol, so they might not be that Halal.

Posted on: Hong Kong Visa Run

You need to remember too that as far as the visa is concerned, Hong Kong is another country, so if you visit there during a China trip you will have to have a multiple visit visa, or spend the extra cash and go through the extra hassle of getting another one.

Posted on: All the Things You Can Hit: 打 (dǎ)

There is one English usage of hit which I don't think the Chinese use, as I had to explain it to a Chinese friend after watching a (US) movie, and that is to hit on someone (i.e. to try and come on to them)

Posted on: Surviving Winter and Singles Scene for Expat Girls

One Australian University I was working at had a pamphlet with stories from overseas and local students about the multicultural issue (overseas students make up 25% of Australian univeristies' student population). One story was from an Asian man bemoaning that it was acceptable for Asian women to date white men, but not Asian men to date white women. I am not sure why this "unacceptability" exists, but if anything it seems to be a power issue, or perception of power.

The man is often seen as the more powerful (I am not saying he is, or that he should be, but it is a common stereotype) and so often are (and again I stress I do not agree with this view) are westerners. So you have these factors contradicting in a westerner women/Asian man relationship. So it may be an issue of overcoming the whole traditional views on power in a relationship and cultures.

Even in westerner man/Asian women relationships (which I have direct experience), there is often a view that by dating a non-westerner, I am taking the "easy option". I have even had this point of view from Asian women.

There is always the cultural differences that arise, but if anything I find these create a stronger relationship as you learn to deal with differences earlier in a relationship than you might otherwise, and understand to give your partner space in certain things.

Posted on: Food Regions of China

You only briefly mentioned it, but another Chinese food-type is that of the Xinjiang region. There are a few restuarants of that food in Sydney. It is a mixture of middle eastern (maybe what might be referred to as Turkish) with Chinese influences. Of course they are largely muslim in that area, so you will have to miss out on the alcohol at the restuarants of the Uigher (the main ethnic group of the region).

BTW, although they come close (<100km from the Golden Triangle, where Thailand borders Laos and Myamar) there is no border between Thailand and China. However many ethnic minorities in Thailand, particularly northern Thailand, have Chinese origins and have a similar (often the same although named differently) ethnic group based in China.

Posted on: Qipao Dresses and Marathons in China

I have noticed that many Vietnamese women, particularly with the Vietnamese schoolgirl uniform, wear something that looks like a qipao, but with long sleeves and long dress. Maybe it is the older version of the qipao

Posted on: Hanoi

Cool, a lesson on Hanoi a few months before I visit the place itself. I hope my English and Chinese ability can get around my complete lack of knowledge of Vietnamese.