User Comments - nicolebrewer

Posted on: Beauty Pageant Registration

Yummei, I totally understand what your saying here.

Traditionally, and generally, I have been a long time advocate of keeping Chinese names. However, I'm starting to realize it's not always good for everyone.

If Chinese people have the kind of name which has many different meanings depending on the tone then hearing Westerners slaughter it in millions of way could be aggravating. I wonder if it's common that names could have a positive and a negative meaning if the tones were flipped....I don't know much about names.

But recently I met someone who is going to study soon in the United States. He has enough background knowledge in English to make it. But I am concerned because his name might sound extra odd in English. I don't want to compromise his identity...so I'll just hint that his name has the sounds: wang pu ci in it...For the first time in my life I'm suggesting the dude take on a new name...It feels wrong...

:) What would you do?

Posted on: Yoga

Hi Poddies,

Great lesson!  I was wondering if anyone knows the difference between 心灵 (xinling) and 精神 （jingshen)?

They are both translated into English as "spirit", but in the podcast they are used in the same sentence...so there must be some sort of a distinction, right? :)

-Nicole

Posted on: Yoga

Hi Poddies,

Great lesson!  I was wondering if anyone knows the difference between 心灵 (xinling) and 精神 （jingshen)?

They are both translated into English as "spirit", but in the podcast they are used in the same sentence...so there must be some sort of a distinction, right? :)

-Nicole

Posted on: What does 厉害 (lìhai) mean, anyway?

A teacher at my school was nicknamed "Miss. 厉害" :(

Posted on: What does 厉害 (lìhai) mean, anyway?

My friends mostly use sick when discussing music. "You sounded sick" in this sense is a more extreme compliment than: "Man, that was baad". :)

Posted on: Check Your Spam

ah, thanks! I should know that...

Posted on: Ouch!

Sorry if I'm bothering Chinesepodren for posting all of these comments before I totally find my way around!

But I actually am curious about the difference between dùzi and wèi. Recently a student of mine told her dùzi hurt not her wèi. In English I think of stomach and belly to mean relatively the same thing...

Posted on: Feminine Products

Yea! I used to live in Henan and that term is certainly not something you would yell at a woman to get her attention. When I moved to Shanghai I was completely thrown off guard the first time someone called me that.

The only times that I have heard it used in Henan, if you go there DO NOT use this term! In that neck of the woods all foreign woman are presumed to be either teachers or hookers...so, as I was a foreign woman living there who spoke broken Chinese, I occasionally had the experience where a man would use Xiaojie as a way to decipher my profession....

I prefer the way this term is politely tossed around in Shanghai!

Posted on: Feminine Products

Cheers to that!

Posted on: Feminine Products

Wow, that is really interesting! Interesting explanation as to why tampons are so hard to find. Thanks.