User Comments - mikeinewshot

Posted on: Get in line!

I really don't buy Ken's attempt in the lesson to justify the Chinese's cutting in line/jumping the queue.  I think he was bending over backwards to be politically correct and not to critisize.

Frankly it just comes over to me as total selfishness with no sense of community.  How can this be reconciled with the Chinese supposed politeness?

Posted on: Autumn Outing

Thank you John

I don't think I would ever have figured out 乘车 from just listening.

Posted on: Autumn Outing

Well I have listened to it about 4 times and although I understand most of it, there are bits that I just can't get.  So I think I will have to wait till some kind person posts the transcript

Posted on: Chinese Characters and the History of Sex in China

A really interesting Dear Amber.

I didn't know before that Chinese characters were so inappropriate for Japanese.  I wonder whether Changye has anything to say on that?!

It was also very good to listen to an expert on Chinese sexual history.  It was interesting to hear about the Taoist periods.  Does the more liberal attitude to sex still exhist in Taoist circles in China?  I believe that Zen gurus (related to Taoism) have very (healthy?) liberal views about sex.

Posted on: Argument over Garbage (1)

If anyone would like help understanding Jenny's Chinese, here are some words in addition to those in the supplementary vocabulary that I have managed to pick out – I hope they are correct. Lookups courtesy of http://www.xuezhongwen.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddictbasic

邻居 lín jū neighbor / next door
脏话 zāng huà profanity / obscene language / speaking rudely
细看 xì kàn peer / scan
纸条 zhǐ tiáo slip of paper
明显 míng xiǎn clear / distinct / obvious
作为 zuò wéi one's conduct / deed / activity / accomplishment / achievement / to act as / as (in the capacity of) / qua / to view as / to look upon (sth as) / to take sth to be
否认 fǒu rèn to declare to be untrue / to deny
重量 zhòng liàng weight
单位 dān wèi a unit / unit (of measure) / work unit (one's workplace)
紧张 jǐn zhāng nervous / keyed up / intense / tense / strained / in short supply / scarce
在乎 zài hu determined by / to care about / to mind
抽象 chōu xiàng abstract
责怪 zé guài to blame / to rebuke
有意 yǒu yì to intend / intentionally / interested in
缺少 quē shǎo lack / shortage of / shortfall / to be short (of) / to lack
文雅 wén yǎ elegant / refined
行为 xíng wéi action / conduct / behavior / activity

Posted on: Moving House and Chinese Wineries

I have had some quite paletable Chinese wines in restaurants - normally Great Wall. 

And I have never had symptoms that Jenny and Amber describe.  But wait!  I thought Jenny didn't drink alcohol - so beware her opinion on wine :-)

Posted on: Asking for Leave

I have been working in the same company in England for 20 years and have acrued 28 days leave, although I think new entrants start at about 20 days.

Now we can 'buy' extra days off up to a maximum of 35.

We have less public holidays than the rest of Europe though (I think).

I have always assumed that 礼拜 is used in circles exposed to (Christian) religion as the characters are connected with workship

Posted on: When 比较 (bǐjiào) becomes 更 (gèng)

I have a question about whether geng 更 is mandatory in the following sentence type.

I thought I learned once that 我比你高 means I am taller than you, without needing a 更.

Is this correct?  Or do I have to say 我比你更高？

Posted on: 户籍制度

Jenny

在英国这些情况完全一样。好多家庭也搬到最好的学校的地区。

Posted on: Good, Bad and Otherwise

Here in England I know a number of Chinese (One from Taiwan and one from Singapore and one from Guangzhou) who ask you 你好吗?

I wonder whether they are Anglicised.