User Comments - huasen

Posted on: Name-Calling, Chinese-Style

Any chance of continuing the series on 了? It seemed to peter out after two.

Posted on: Eating Dead Flesh 猪吃死人肉

Somehow missed this series starting, although I remember Pearltower Pete's intriguing trailer for it in a message a while back. Absolutely fantastic stuff. I'd have been delighted with a quick look at some of the more famous poems, but the fact you're looking at some more obscure ones too (obscure to me at least I'd never heard of this one before) is just the sixth step to heaven.

I know it's a bit long but did you fancy having a go at 调谁歌头？Have my own views on interpreting this poem, but I'd love to hear your take Pete.

Posted on: Learning the Lei Feng Song

pearltower pete

Thanks for summing up in such an articulate fashion just why this lesson is so valuable. xigua, without wishing to be disrespectful to your views on the subject, I think you perhaps underestimate the extent to which we non-native Chinese are able to understand the cultural context of the cult. The simple fact of knowing that it was initiated by Mao is enough to indicate a large cultural warning sign. But Lei Feng clearly is an influence on today's China, as the tone of Jenny's comments throughout the lesson makes clear, and thought this was a fantastic and really valuable peek into the phenomenon.

Perhaps also the notion of Lei Feng contains something that makes it bigger than the intentions of creating the cult. Think of Wittgenstein's comments about the man kissing the picture of his absent wife, he does it not because he believes she feels the kiss but as a ritual to demonstrate the persistence of love. Maybe the value of a symbol of altruism, which has deeper resonances in Chinese culture, lives on, although Mao is long gone.

Oh and I can't wait for the lesson on poetry.

Posted on: Table for Three

Just wanted to say that I think the new approach of having a faster and more realistic pace to the Ellie dialogues is a really good one. Does much more to prepare you for the Chinese as it sounds when it's spoken to you.

Posted on: Asking for Leave

I worked for a British Company in China. We got both the Chinese and the British national holiday. So you'd hardly finished 圣诞节 when it was time to wind down for 春节. Way to go!

华森

Posted on: Birth by Chinese Zodiac

Does the rat's position as first in the zodiac (cf recent what's the story) not confer any special status? 我以为属鼠得人也命好。

Surely there should be some compensation for being a rat?

华森

Posted on: Rome

Can you use 以为 where the mistaken idea persists as well as when it has now been revised?

That is, can you say 很多人以为这个城市很无聊，其实有不少的令人兴奋的地方 meaning 'People thing this city's really dull, in fact it has quite a few exciting places'?

Posted on: A Very Special Day

Congratulations Jenny, John, Ken, Amber, Connie and everyone at ChinesePod.

As one of the disgruntled ones who complained two years ago or so about the gulf between Elementary and Intermediate, I'd just like to pay tribute to how superbly you as a team responded to the customer feedback. The way John and Jenny in particular structured lessons to help aspirant Ellies make the transition was truly superb. I now really value the Chinese banter at Upper Intermediate, most of which I can understand, and I've even found a couple of the Advanced lessons within my reach. A huuuge amount of credit is due to you for this. Looking back I can't believe the progress I've made with your help.

干杯！

华森

Posted on: Don't Never Say Never

Thanks amber that's really helpful. I'm amazed how often I discover that I learn something from qing wen, even when it's a pattern I think I know really well.

Posted on: Don't Never Say Never

In the broadcast you say that ‘从来没。。。过。’is for things you haven't experienced and ‘从来不' is for things you wuold never do.

What about if you used to do something a lot but now never do it? For example 'Since I came to Beijing I never drink coffee, always drink tea' ? Would that be 我来北京以后我从来不喝咖啡，总是喝茶。

And would there be a 了in that sentence to indicate a change?