User Comments - joey.mac1981

Posted on: Listen Up, Foreigners!

Thanks Vera! I am sure there are many sociological/cultural studies that have explored this :-)

Posted on: Listen Up, Foreigners!

Great lesson guys!!!

I have to confess to a profound dislike for the terms "老外" and "外国人". I think this dislike could mainly be derived from my cultural background. That being I have grown up in a country (Australia) where it is, now, considered insensitive to mark someone as 'different' based on their place of birth (notwithstanding the usual redneck racists that all countries harbour...).

When I was travelling around China, I used to get called "老外" and "外国人" by people, i.e. hotel staff or tour operators. It used to peeve me a bit, because they could have so easily called me "先生", which is the term they used for some of the Chinese people I travelled with. I don't know why they felt the need to make the distinction...it seems that is was born from more than just curiosity...

I am not too sure I buy into all this talk about "老外" and "外国人" being terms of endearment. They are used to mark someone as an "outsider" and different....but maybe I am just reading too much into it and through my own cultural lens...;-).

I have a question for the Chinese staff at ChinesePod: why do Chinese people call people who are situated in the country of their birth "外国人“ is it because Chinese people perceive it as 外地中国人? or something like that? Is it because that 国 is thought of in its traditional meaning as the "central states" or "China"? As much as it has been used in a modern sense to denote country, e.g. 法国，德国

In Australia, I have been called "外国人" on Wechat and I usually respond with: "不是，我是内国人 ;-)"...as much as the term probably doesn't make sense in Chinese! lol

Posted on: Passive Verbs and 被

Thanks for those terms!

Posted on: Where Are My Socks?

Maybe a few Qingwens could be devoted to this! I would especially love sarcastic language that can be directed towards lazy fuwuyuans!! ;-)

Posted on: The Wives of Gay Men

Totally agree! Keep these topics coming and I'll be a member for a long time!! :-)

Some of the best conversations I have with my tutor are these sort of topics!

Posted on: Words with 可(ke)

Thanks for the great lesson! 

Just one thing though...and I feel a bit bad saying it because it is great you are trying new things. I found the music in the background very off putting. Is there any chance you could go back to the old format?