User Comments - jennyzhu
jennyzhu
Posted on: Ordering Xiaolongbao
May 10, 2007 at 3:39 PMLester, 笼 is a measure word. It is quite a peculiar case where the noun also functions as a meaure word for itself. 一笼，几笼 How many hotels are there in Haerbin?/哈尔滨有几家酒店？ How many eggs are in a half kilo?/一斤鸡蛋有几个？（一两 is 50 grams.）
Posted on: Ordering Xiaolongbao
May 10, 2007 at 1:17 PMThe creme de la creme of 小笼包 in Shanghai is 南翔小笼包/nan2 xiang2 xiao3 long2 bao1 in 豫园/yu4 yuan2/Yu Garden. The garden itself is the city's obligatory toursit destination and the 小笼包 restaurant is a star in its own right. While the restaurant is excessively touristy, the 小笼包 has kept its killer consistency. A must go. P.S. The restaurant has a 'caste system' for its 小笼包。The ground floor serves take-away ones at an unbelievably cheap price. As the stairs go up, so does the price (and the surrounding and service). They even sell shark's fin filling at 100RMB for 6.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 14: Seeking Comfort
May 9, 2007 at 3:52 PMHenning, Liu Xiang uses the plural in this sentence "在我们眼里你永远都是开心果", because he is walking down memory lane and pointing out that Lili was the 开心果 by concensus of classmates (and highlight Lili's fanbase to make her feel better). I know it because I am the soapy dialogue writer. What's so great about Lili anyway?
Posted on: International Women's Day
May 8, 2007 at 2:11 PMChow, Thank you very much for pointing it out. We've identified most of the chipmunk lessons and are in the process of uploading the quality audios. They will be up very soon. Sorry about the convenience. (I am particularly disappointed myself, since this is a lesson so close to a woman's heart.)
Posted on: Mosquitoes
May 8, 2007 at 2:03 PMAlexYe, Spray is 喷剂/pen1 ji4. I've heard someone comparing life to 蚊香/wen2 xiang1/mosquito incense, that it goes round and round till it burns out. But on the way, it caught mosquitos. And that is what matters.
Posted on: 盗款买彩
May 7, 2007 at 3:40 PM像一出悲喜剧。
Posted on: Buying a SIM card
May 7, 2007 at 3:36 PMLester, Yes, you got the construction 100% right. 自己works with every pronoun. Laorui, 神州行 is indeed a China Mobile service for domestic use (as you said 神州 means 'China', litreally meaning 'magical land'). 行 means to travel or move. China Mobile's international service is called 全球通/quan2 qiu2 tong1, which means 'global connection'. They also have a plethora of services all brialliantly named.Will make a great blog post.
Posted on: Ordering a Steak
May 6, 2007 at 5:50 PMRich, I don't know what a "country fried steak" is. 鸡排 certainly isn't as common as 牛排、羊排、or even 猪排。排describes a thin flat and sizable piece of meat. I guess the physique of a chicken doesn't naturally render itself into a 排 as the other meats。The closest I've seen is chicken schitzel.
Posted on: Buying a SIM card
May 6, 2007 at 5:39 PMExcuter, These SIM cards are non-contract. Pretty much the same as it works elsewhere.
Posted on: Ordering Xiaolongbao
May 10, 2007 at 3:45 PMSmithy, You can say “什么陷”？The reply will most likely be 豆沙馅/dou4 sha1 xian4 if you are buying sweet buns.