User Comments - peteroc

Posted on: Add Me on WeChat

My friends in Taiwan used to use WhatsApp, but now switched to WeChat this year. I use WeChat with my Chinese friends in America too.

Posted on: Bakery Binge

Another excellent lesson, maybe even more so for the cultural aspects than the language aspects.  It is amazing how different the bread cultures are from country to country, especially from Asia and Europe/North America.

No matter how many times I step into a Chinese bakery, something about it still feels like I stepped into an alternate universe. Kind of like the Twilight Zone (I am of course referring to the TV show versus where the younger generation may think vampires hang out.)  ;-)

Posted on: I Really Can't Sing!

Another great lesson!  ChinesePod should publish a Chinese culture book for visiting foreigners.  You always find the right balance of explaining the cultural issues from both sides. 

Posted on: WeChat

My friends in the US and Taiwan have been using What's App.  Thanks Cpod for letting us know whats popular in China these days.

Posted on: Ordering Food for the Group

Another great lesson by ChinesePod! I'm always impressed at how interesting the lessons are.  I love how the little cultural explanations are weaved into each lesson.  And John and Jenny always sound so excited about the topic.  I'm sure you prepare most of what you plan to talk about it but it always comes across as such natural conversation. I hope you two can stay there for many more years to come! 

Posted on: Traditional Chinese Paintings

bababardwan - from what I understand, the physical force is mainly making it clear you can't leave until some payment is made. a kind of temporary kidnapping or false imprisonment. and i get the feeling that even if the police showed up they wouldn't necessarily be sympathetic if they felt there was a real dispute about money being owed. best to avoid such situations.

Posted on: Traditional Chinese Paintings

A similar thing happened to me in Beijing when I was in a shopping mall. The trickiest thing about it was the very soft sell in the beginning. I was just killing time waiting for a friend outside Starbucks and I swear I initiated the conversation. After a few minutes small talk in Chinese, they mentioned they were art students and their school was just in the next building. I still had time to kill so I figured might as well take a look. Knowing there are always potential scams I was paying attention the whole time about where we were going. The building was more of an office type building, but not that unusual for a private art school in the west, so I wasn't too worried. In the end it was basically a show room with a lot of paintings to buy. The paintings were actually quite nice and reasonably priced and would have made nice souvenirs. Fortunately, I escaped without having to buy anything and didn't encounter any large gentlemen. However, along similar lines, I do have a friend that got stuck buying a "nice couple" expensive tea after they invited my friend to join them. Be careful out there!! And don't ever follow strangers into tea houses or art studios that aren't visible from a busy street.

Posted on: Designing the New Apartment 2

I think I'm really becoming Chinese, because I would have to agree that I would choose a rice cooker as most important. Well actually after the microwave. Microwave...then rice cooker....then burners. I really can't imagine cooking rice in a pan on burner anymore. With a rice cooker, you just add water & rice and flip the switch. Even better I cook extra and leave it in the rice cooker for the next meal, where it stays moist and warm. But I guess I'm still not as Chinese as my friends because they tend to use the rice cooker for a lot of other meals, the way we use crock pots in America. Also good for steaming mantou! :D

Posted on: Asking for a Raise

when pretzellogic mentions a more interesting topic like evolution, that makes me think more of the advanced intermediate and advanced lessons. some of the topics of those lessons always looks so interesting to me, but unfortunately they are still quite hard. i do agree it is nice to have a variety of topics. i understand what catherine is saying about the language being different even thought the titles are similar. still, it helps with the study motivation to see an exciting looking lesson topic. even if many podies want more business lessons, maybe you can keep adding interesting twists, like having the employees work on an island...or even the moon! =)

Posted on: Let's Just Be Friends

Yes, the prices are higher now. But we were getting such a bargain before, I can't really complain too much on the new prices. When compared to what I pay for a tutor, it is still very reasonable.