User Comments - maxiewawa
maxiewawa
Posted on: Death by Ninja
September 13, 2007 at 6:33 AMI keep getting the Japanese version of 才 in my browser, with the third stroke crossing the 2nd, instead of starting from the corner... anyone else having this problem?
Posted on: Death by Ninja
September 12, 2007 at 8:02 AMYou can never get enough ninjas when you're learning a new language. I suggest ninjas become a daily part of Chinesepod, with each lesson featuring Ninjas in some way. Maybe we could have a new series, now that the business series seems to have finished. Something to do with Ninjas. I have always wondered who'd win a fight between a 忍者 and a Shaolin Monk.
Posted on: Old School Toys
September 12, 2007 at 7:26 AMNinja Turtles are 忍者神龟, and rule. 忍者 is actually the Japanese 汉字 for Ninja.
Posted on: How do you take your coffee?
September 8, 2007 at 10:50 AMI can't stand it though... when I hear someone speaking Chinese badly I can't help thinking "does he know how many mistakes he's making" and I feel that I'm doing them a favour by stopping them... but on the other hand when I hear someone speaking bad English but still getting their meaning across, it doesn't bother me at all... 奇怪哦。
Posted on: How do you take your coffee?
September 8, 2007 at 7:24 AMWild Yak, I'm sure Chinese people get their tones wrong, but in an educational setting, when someone's teaching you something, you want them to get it right every time! I'm sure it could get a little annoying though, as you mentioned!
Posted on: How do you take your coffee?
September 8, 2007 at 4:06 AMWhy is it that 咖啡 has two unique characters, while most other transliterations use existing characters? Also, at 8:20 I think Ken老师 makes a little mistake with 需： he uses what sounds like a 3rd tone. He does it again at 8:35 (with a 4th tone). I really think Jenny老师 should correct Ken when he does that; it would consistently remind listeners to watch their tones. The Chinese side of me doesn't want to embarass him, but I don't think he'd mind at all. I'm sure Ken would appreciate a helping hand when he makes a mistake. We all make them! (Except John老师, but he seems to be some kind of 天才 when it comes to Chinese!). I know I often say things and wonder if I'm saying them right... when I do suspect that I have made a mistake and ask my teacher, if she responds that 'yes, what you said was in fact a mistake', it always ticks me off that she didn't correct me immediately, and waited for me to ask. Learners always want someone to let them know when they do something wrong, and I definitely think Jenny should pick him up on it when he makes mistakes like that. I'm sure many newbies make the same mistakes and don't realise it.
Posted on: Flattery in the Office
August 30, 2007 at 10:03 AMOne term that is very useful in a situation like this is 拍马屁. Literally it means 'to slap a horse's butt', but it actually means 'to bullsh*t' someone, or something similar. It's not as strong as the English 'to bullsh*t' though. If one of the underlings in the dialogue said ' 老板，他们都在拍马屁' I think the boss would laugh, where as if in an English speaking environment, "Boss, they're all just bullsh*tting you" probably would be too strong. 你在拍马屁吗？ is a standard response to the standard Chinese greeting of 哇，你中文说的很好！
Posted on: Number Two
August 29, 2007 at 3:58 AMOne of my Chinese grade 1 students changed the words to a popular kids' song. His version went like this: If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands... 大便！ The last line would be shouted at the top of one's voice, with a grin on one's face, and would be followed by maxiewawa老师 making one stand in the corner. Sorry, I didn't understand the lesson, 可不可以再听一'便'？ *giggle*
Posted on: I'm hot!
August 28, 2007 at 2:05 AMJenny老师 I don't know why we don't say this more often. It seems like every one of your countrymen tries to compliment anyone who says 2 words of Chinese but we never do the same to you. 哇，你英文说的很好哦！真的！真的啊！ I can hear you doing the polite self-depracating thing, 我说实话呀！ "Hottie" isn't an easy word to use properly. But Jenny老师 just dropped it in perfectly.
Posted on: Basic Shapes
September 15, 2007 at 12:54 PMWhat's the Chinese character cultural sphere?