User Comments - pearltowerpete
pearltowerpete
Posted on: What do Foreigners Like?
April 22, 2009 at 6:06 AMHi chris and bodawei,
Thanks for your analyses. I figured there had to be something social/economic going on, as it seems many cities organized themselves this way even in the days before zoning laws.
Posted on: What do Foreigners Like?
April 22, 2009 at 5:31 AMHi urbandweller
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
The reasoning makes sense for industries like tanning, slaughtering or smelting steel.
But I still don't really know why it would be true for stuff like stationery and art supplies. They don't bother anyone much.
Posted on: 沙漠寻踪
April 22, 2009 at 5:28 AMHi hugorestall,
你这个问题问得好。
“着、著” 这个字有一点烦人，很难用。 “执着，" "执著” 一样对，只不过是不一样的写法。
Posted on: Rise and Shine!
April 22, 2009 at 5:24 AMHi Joachim
Ha ha ;-) My point is that the foreigners who come here 没有代表性 méiyǒu dàibiǎoxìng， that is, they are not a representative sample of their home countries.
If the American economy relied on alcoholic English teachers as much as you'd think by visiting many Chinese cities, we'd have had our economic meltdown a long time ago.
*Much love, tipsy teachers! I am one of you, too.*
Posted on: Rise and Shine!
April 22, 2009 at 5:10 AMHi paulinurus
Currently, people are able to post on CPod during their free one-week trial membership. The plus side is that the lively community, in which people are answering questions, making suggestions, etc. is often a big attraction to potential users. People like to know what they'll be getting before they sign up.
The downside is that we get the occasional Angry Young Man who feels threatened and/or insulted by foreigners' attempts to learn about China and the Chinese language. But since we don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, such commenters are a price we have to pay.
Your comment that
we're too thick skin, don't really care who says what even to presidents, and absolutely have no face to save.
is very close to the mark. Of course Westerners value "face" in our own way, but there really is very little forbidden ground when it comes to humor. Jokes about politics, kinkiness, and dead babies are not considered beyond-the-pale. Rather, the fact that they make us squirm is really part of the fun.
This casual attitude frequently astonishes and upsets Chinese people. In the face of sharp, cutting humor, many Chinese come off as oversensitive to jokes and jabs that would bounce right off in the West.
Finally, don't be put off coming to China. The vast majority of people in China (and abroad) have much better things to do than go ballistic over Internet photos. Just as the foreigners who come to China are a skewed picture of the world outside the Middle Kingdom, the kind of irate commenter seen above is not typical of Chinese people.
Posted on: What do Foreigners Like?
April 22, 2009 at 3:41 AMHi chanelle77
Fuzhou Lu is definitely the most popular place for art supplies. I'm not a serious artist, so I can't say if the stuff is any good. But there are always plenty of customers...
Posted on: What do Foreigners Like?
April 22, 2009 at 2:58 AMHi light487
Fantastic observations. Thanks a lot for sharing.
I have often wondered why merchandise really does seem to be grouped district-by-district. For example, in Shanghai, Fuzhou Rd is the place to go for art supplies. I think everyone would do a brisker business if they scattered themselves around a bit...Surely there is some economic or social explanation.
Posted on: Stinky Feet
April 22, 2009 at 2:51 AMHi joncui,
It seems to show up when you search for "Stinky Feet."
Posted on: Pregnancy Series 5: Super Babies and Ultrasounds
April 22, 2009 at 2:44 AMHi miantiao,
你这个故事够吓人，太可怕了。
我就顺便给你提几个语法上的错误。
她和她男朋友却没有结婚， 不能加“了”，因为这个事情实际上没有发生。
而且，你第二段最好说 “我曾没去过” 之类的。
目前中国有没有“Plan B" 之类的药品-- 原来使用的避孕方式没效果你才得吃的一种药。 幸亏，到今天为止我没遇到过这个问题。
Posted on: Watching the Sun Go Down -- 登乐游原
April 22, 2009 at 8:32 AMHi bendidelaowai,
Thank you for the kind comment. There are definitely worse things to be addicted to than poetry!
Hi hughborg707
Whisky, poetry and chocolate (all in moderation!) are my ingredients for a perfect evening.
Glad you enjoy the show.
Hi christian
Thanks for commenting. None of us (including most modern Chinese) are really able to read these poems unaided. They are loaded with historical and literary allusions, and much of the grammar and many words have changed over the centuries. Good footnotes, dictionaries, and most of all, patience, are essential.
I consulted How to Read Chinese Poetry for an upcoming lesson. Portions are available on Google books.