User Comments - daolin
daolin
Posted on: Scams and Bus Culture
January 29, 2008 at 4:26 PMThe money exchange trick tvan described January 29, 2008 @ 04:42 am is known to me in different variants (police i) rush, rush ii) two exits, iii) double-folding of money, iv) old notes or even different currency etc.) since times of the iron curtain. I usually changed safely in hotels (better Sharpe-ratio against money scums). The cab scum is known to me since my times in Prague in the 80's in 3 different variants (i) meter off + very high fare, ii) meter on + very long ride; in the end I always negotiated on known distances on some fares still profitable fore the driver + still cheap for me) I have no problem cognitively realizing risks of scum, however if you appeal to pity etc. these things which work on me. 'Beggar with baby' works with me - even if I know some facts. 1990 I've been in China for the first time. I see many scums just as a form of bargaigning, e.g. on a market in Guangzhou they offer some 'silver coins' which look nice, so I was interested. The stand person wants to prove that it's silver & tries to convince me with the 'sound' it makes. I point out that the greenish oxidation hints for copper, so I offer a ridiculuous low amount in view of her price (1/30 or so), which is still fair, if you consider it just some metal. She had to ask her boss and eventually I got it. The painting scum is similar. I went with them because I was really interested what art they have to offer, but found it way to expensive. I liked some 'Monet' (pointillisme)-style paintings offered them (forgot) 10-20 USD equiv. , but they refused. All these conversations were in Chinese as good as I could manage. My 'tea-scum' equivalent would be 10 minutes after arriving in the morning alone in Athens still with a map in hand and friendly invited for Ouzo by a guy who wants to help me finding accommodation. The bar is completely empty and suddenly an attractive women asks whether she could join me. Now I just turned 18 and didn't refuse. Barman asks whether she could also have a drink (yes) and guy dissappeared in the meantime. The ouzo was really of the strong sort and started to act. Some more things happen and I'm not stupid, hence I prepare my non-violent exit with the question 'OK, what's the bill right now', paid that (would be 1500 Yuan today, uch then for me) and left. At first this might seem having nothing to do with China, but the message is 'Use your previous experience', 'Trust your feelings' 'Something rings a bell? - Listen to it'. China is not different to any other country with big income differences or poor population in comparision to you. Be honest & direct in what you want and are interested in and what not can help. Something nags me since years: it's easy to understand what the people with products (= paintings etc., fill in) want, but what do those people actually want whose English is to good to need to practice it with foreigners, just 'want to make friends' (in a shopping street?)? I told them I wouldn't be interested and they should better look for native speakers. Has s.o. experience with that?
Posted on: Sudoku
December 12, 2007 at 8:57 AM谢谢, Amber! 请问 , 用ChinesePod (?*)怎么办 ? 我们应该每次说"谢谢 你"吗? 这个方法 好吗 ? 你们期望 吗? 还是中文博客 (ChinesePod?) 马上快太满了 ? BTW, the Pod in your company's name, does it stand only for 'podcast' and secondly ~ 中文 怎么说呢? Greetings, Dao xièxie , Amber! qǐng wèn , yòng ChinesePod (?*) zěnme bàn ? wǒmen yīnggāi měicì shuō " xièxie nǐ " ma ? zhège fāngfǎ hǎo ma ? nǐmen qīwàng ma ? hái shì zhōngwén bókè (ChinesePod?) mǎshàng kuài tài mǎnle ?
Posted on: Sudoku
December 11, 2007 at 11:28 AM我迷上围棋了, 肯定 比 数独有趣 (好多了, 倍增 ?). 下围棋者必须拥有想像力和创造性 , not just filling in a given (!) form. 在 围棋 呢 , 你开始以一个空的棋盘! Wǒ míshàng wéiqí le , kěndìng bǐ shùdú yǒuqù ( hǎoduōle , bèizēng ? ) . Xià wéiqízhě bìxū yōngyǒu xiǎngxiànglì hé chuàngzàoxìng. (...) Zài wéiqí ne , nǐ kāishǐ yǐ yīgè kōngde qípán ! Dear All, stumbled on this lesson only now and couldn't leave it to add some comments related to my greatest (no, only addiction), without belittling anyone, as I tried Sudoku and also lose in 'Memory' to my children. What would be the difference in usage between: 有趣, 有意思, 有兴趣. 拥有yōngyǒu (for things?) , 具有 jùyǒu Many thanks in advance, DaoLin (Tommie) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/columns/0001/336.htm
Posted on: Using 又 (yòu) and 再 (zài)
June 22, 2007 at 11:50 PM... comparable to yue4 ... yue4 (the more ... the more)? 越 洗 越 脏 :-) Semms I'm digressing.
Posted on: Using 又 (yòu) and 再 (zài)
June 22, 2007 at 11:41 PMBazza, yes, I think so: 又 A ... 又 B.... = both A and B resp. OTOH A (and) on the other ...B are for me a totally different grammar constructions , i.e. NOT time related I forgot how to call these constructions in grammatical terms.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 16: It's Over
June 22, 2007 at 2:18 PMKitty, assume - we can, but this interpretation might also be a psychological projection , a defense mechanism in which one attributes - 'projects' - one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts or emotions onto others. Perhaps this moaning about daily chores (on high level = having a good education, a good job) is part of 'Zeitgeist'. Some people remain in one stage, development phase of their lives - complaining that life changes - others simply move on and try to make the best of it - these where my first associations when I heard the end of the story. Certainly no multimillionaire necessary for fun in life! ha, did I disclosed here my own projection ? :-)
Posted on: Using 看 (kàn) and 看起来 (kàn qilai)
June 15, 2007 at 9:46 AMtest for logging in under this UID
Posted on: Two Little Tigers Song
June 14, 2007 at 3:06 PMHello All, this is my first entry! My Children (Dutch, German & Chinese speaking sing meiyou weiba .... meiyou 屁股 pìgu (buttocks)
Posted on: Scams and Bus Culture
January 30, 2008 at 4:33 PMAmber, hurraaii, just joined ChinesePod ! A question to your mail colleague in this episode (not Ken?) who wants to buy a motorbike: he was not so innocent and playing the game to buy stolen goods a bit too long. Happened to me similar in Amsterdam 1983, where the drug dealers wanted to sell their stuff and my reply that I'd rather needed a bike makes this Junkie running for finding/stealing a bike (I went off before that happened - good boy!).