User Comments - hamshank

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hamshank

Posted on: Weather Forecast
July 21, 2010 at 5:47 AM

This Lesson has added 20 new words to my vocab. Time for a challenge.

I would love to be able to watch the weather forecast everyday instead of using English websites...

Anyone know if the formal words are the same in Taiwan?

Posted on: Guests, Interns and the 4th of July
July 5, 2010 at 1:03 AM

Yeah, I have a BA in Music Technology and started in IT support followed by 3 years in software testing and am now working for a TV company in Taiwan.

I think the key is still being prepared to work up from the bottom and not assuming you deserve a great job from just having a degree. With a good education, you will find it easy to shine at the bottom and you will always have the required background to move up.

Posted on: Diet Coke
June 18, 2010 at 1:41 AM

Fair do's......Just did a bit of research and it seems you are spot on. I'm lucky and have never had to pay much attention to calorie content...I just assumed it was a measure just for energy contained in the food. Didn't know it was originally a measure of heat.

Quote wikipedia....

"The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. The unit was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat. "

Now you mention it, it makes even more sense..."Burning Calories" and such.

I stand corrected.

Posted on: Diet Coke
June 17, 2010 at 10:26 AM

Wow that word for calories is even more of a strange one!...I have to admit, this kind of thing is also part of the beauty of the language.

Sometimes the combination of characters seem like a great philosopher carefully combined them after an epiphany in a way that makes you go "aaahh of course"...Then other times it seems like they left it to a couple of students smoking doobies.

Posted on: Diet Coke
June 17, 2010 at 8:41 AM

I'm not surprised it different on the mainland. I'm always being told, I sound quote "So Chinese" from the words I learn here.

Doesn't 零度可樂 suggest that the temperature is zero rather than the suger/calories?

Posted on: Diet Coke
June 16, 2010 at 12:51 PM

Coke Zero is my coke of choice and I always order it as 可樂零 - kě lè líng but I have just been told by the misses it is normally ordered as 零卡可樂. ling2 ka3 ke3 le3. Zero Calorie Cola.

Posted on: Which tone was that again?
June 16, 2010 at 7:39 AM

Yeah, it will definitely help keep the conversion going in Chinese when trying to practice.

Good lesson

Posted on: World Cup and Diamonds
June 9, 2010 at 9:34 AM

Got one here too....Also with a prize for worst goal difference aka...North Korea or New Zealand.

Posted on: World Cup and Diamonds
June 9, 2010 at 8:53 AM

我也是!

wǒ yě shì

Me too!

我覺得在十二號美國要輸了因為英國太好了.

wǒ juéde zài shí ér hào měiguó yào shū le. Yīn wèi yīng guó tài hǎo le

I think America will lose on the 12th because England are too good! ;)

(No idea if that is correct)

Posted on: Asking for a Phone Number
May 24, 2010 at 6:44 AM

Hi cecilvyse,

You are hearing correctly. The there is a tone change rule that states that two 4th tones in a row changes to 2nd and 4th.

I don't think it is across the board though as I have heard instances where two 4ths change to a 4th and a neutral. Also in Taiwan, many words ignore the tone change completely and go with 2 fourths just to add to the confusion. ;)