User Comments - pearltowerpete

Posted on: No Wonder!

Hi sfrrr

Good ideas for future QW. Duly noted.

The most common way to say "the future" is 将来 jiang1lai2, but there is also 未来 wei4lai2. These are two neat compounds-- 将 on its own can mean "shall," and 未 means "not." So we are refering to things that will come, or have not yet come.

Note: Don't confuse 未 with 末mo4, which has a longer top stroke.

Posted on: A Month as a Monk and Chinese Business Meetings

Hi frances and bababardwan,

Great observations! I some difficulty with the ascetic monastic life. I admire the monastic community for their devotion to learning and good works. But as someone who appreciates the little luxuries of life, it was quite an adjustment.

Posted on: A Month as a Monk and Chinese Business Meetings

Hi user20941

Good question. Like most undergraduate degrees these days, a bachelor's in East Asian Studies is usually a foundation for further study. I have classmates going into law, business, journalism, philosophy, you name it.You will definitely want to study abroad for at least one year, as this is essential for mastering your target language/culture.

It may seem too obvious to mention, but for me the most important benefit of the degree was the relatively well-rounded approach toward studying Asia. In other words, if I had just, for example, gone for a degree in public policy with a minor in Chinese, I would've missed out on a lot of culture, history, worldview etc. kind of stuff. You can't study a language "in a vacuum," and knowing about the development and culture of Asia has helped make me a better student of Chinese.

I do plan to go for a doctorate in the intermediate future and I am confident that my background is suitable for a broad range of fields of study. But then, I'm a diehard fan of learning for learning's sake. Others have different priorities, I'm sure.

As for the website, I just checked it again. You're right, the program seems to be based this year in New Zealand. As I mentioned in the podcast, though, they have temples around the globe and are very welcoming. If you are interested in participating, you can contact them directly.

Posted on: Around the Office

Hi casselin and checkingoutchina,

Glad you enjoyed the stapler's debut performance. I have not really used it in real life. 

And a scanner is 扫描器 sao3miao2qi4

Posted on: A Month as a Monk and Chinese Business Meetings

Hi checkingoutchina,  johns , bababardwan

Thanks for your kind comments. This was a fun interview with Amber, as always. The monastery is called Fo Kuang Shan and the website as mentioned in the podcast is woodenfish.org. There are temples around the world, and they are very welcoming of people of all stripes.

Hi Bento

Bawdy speculation about monks and nuns is at least as old as The Canterbury Tales. But rest assured, we kept our tunics on during my visit.

Hi light487

Eating (or fasting), as well as the preparation and clean-up of food, can be deeply meditative acts. The idea at this monastery is that food is a form of nourishment that allows us to go on with our lives. The monks also place a lot of importance on not wasting food, or making a lot of fuss about it. I'm still thinking about the meals I ate there.

Posted on: Lesson Preview, New Team Member

Hi Chris,

I remember on a recent trip to my rural hometown seeing a sign with a picture of a cow and at the bottom "xing." For a moment I thought it was 行，and marveled at the town council's multiculturalism ;-)

When you start seeing characters in the cracks in the sidewalk, you know you're truly going loopy.

Posted on: 起名要小心

Hi shalmaneser,

取-able things are really 为数不少！

Some of the ones I hear most often are 取消 qu3xiao1 to cancel and 取钱 qu3qian2 to get money (out of an ATM).

Do you have a source for “取个例子” ？ I don't know this phrase. If it's something you just overheard, I guess it might actually be 举个例子, as ju3 and qu3 are similar sounding, especially with a heavy accent.

Great to see you around the boards!

Posted on: 起名要小心

Hello all

Changye果然说的很对，SB 就是傻逼， 但这句话的"bi" 其实不是compel 的意思，而更黄一些，甚至我都不好意思介绍这个字。但每位要讲一口很地道的中文的同学最好研究一下，最近这个字特别流行。

Posted on: Lesson Preview, New Team Member

Hi kimiik,

Thanks for the warm welcome and lesson suggestion. Context and cultural background are essential for speaking good, idiomatic Chinese (just think of 成语）. So we will see plenty of this stuff in future lessons， particularly at the higher levels.

Looking forward to your comments and queries.

Posted on: ...都 (dōu): The Bryan Adams pattern

hi kangleilei

If I had to translate Bilbo Baggins' poem I might go with

黄金不一定闪耀

漂游的人不一定迷路了

Here we are using 不一定 "not necessarily" to express:

All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost.

But I can't get the meter right. Good poddies of the Shire, help me out!