User Comments - mikeinewshot

Posted on: How Many Zeroes?

azzote & wchan

If you actually listen to the lesson, Jenny and Ken tell you the context! (but Ken says 'she' at one point?)

Posted on: Broken, Busted, and Smashed

Wow.  This has to be one of the best Qingwen ever!

What a difference and improvement over the recent ones.  I really liked the depth and variety of the treatment.  It turned into a real lesson which I will go over and over.

Thanks Chinesepod.

Posted on: Gone Fishing

Jenny

I have been trying to read a novel called 鬼吹灯, which is in Mandarin.  It has an expression 粽子 (zongzi) which seems to be used for zombie.  I am told there are quite a lot of Northern dialect words in it.

Posted on: Grass 草

Bill

Actually the French translation gives me a very different feeling to the Chinese, because it uses so many words and explains every detail of the meaning, and leaves nothing to the imagination.  I felt therefore that it doesn't convey the spirit of the original very well.

Posted on: Grass 草

Thanks again Pete. 

Just one suggestion please - when you are explaining the characters in the poem, could you pause just a little between explaining one part/character/word and going on to the next.

I just can't keep up with you, as I am still dwelling on what you have said about one bit, when you are talking about the next.

It all happens too quickly for my small brain to take in. 

Posted on: About Face! A Multi-faceted Look at 面子

Jenny

What you say about 礼 is very interesting, but I confess I do not fully understand what you mean.  Maybe a subject for a lesson (I guess it would have to be an advanced one, which sadly I would have trouble in following :-().

Posted on: Sympathy for the Farmers -- 悯农

Hi Pete

Thanks for another interesting poem, and the phrases you brought out with it.  At the beginning though you said "Two poems"?

Posted on: About Face! A Multi-faceted Look at 面子

I can't really reconcile the Chinese modesty with flaunting riches.  Are these both manifested by the same people, or are some Chinese modest while others are the reverse?

Posted on: About Face! A Multi-faceted Look at 面子

Face is something I do not like about Chinese culture.

My background and culture results in me regarding this behaviour as superficial, showing lack of maturity, and often vulgar.

Showing off your wealth is associated with nouveau riche who have 'no culture'.  It shows lack of self esteem by those who do it, and therefore has the reverse effect to that intended.

What is more, the incessant purchasing of new items is unnecessarily harmful to the planet.

Forcing people to drink to give you face shows a selfish attitude with lack of respect for them.

Posted on: Remembering that Day on the Creek -- 如梦令: 常记溪亭日暮

Pete

I enjoyed the poem very much, and was pleased to hear a slightly longer lesson with more explanation.

My motivation to keep going in Chinese is flagging as it is just so hard, but I am tuning into these poems as the highlight of the week, although I am not specially into poetry.