User Comments - rich
rich
Posted on: Why, why, why??
July 20, 2007 at 3:00 PMQuestion about 该 and 应该 Noticing "该睡觉了" in the lesson, I have to ask, when can just 该 be used and when should 应该 be used? Is there a big difference? Because I often get lazy and just want to say 该 like "你该去找他了" (especially when writing 短信） yet sometimes Chinese friends correct me and say I need to use "应该." 为什么，为什么，为什么？ Is 该……了 more of the meaning "It's time for you to..." ? I know this is used to say "It's your turn." "该你了", which I've always found quite bit strange (literal translation, "It should be you"???)
Posted on: Why, why, why??
July 20, 2007 at 2:52 PMHieroglyphics In regards to the "hieroglyphics" of Chinese, it is interesting to note how it was even attempted, I believe even by Chairman Mao, to not only go to simplified Chinese but to go to romanization (i.e. just pinyin) and get rid of the whole Chinese writing system (according to the book "Faith of Our Fathers" I recently read, http://www.faithofourfathersbooks.com/), yet the mystical world of language, all the way from the tower of Babel, wouldn't let it be. It also made an interesting comparison to how computers have gone from text (DOS) to icons (Windows), where as languages have tended to go from icons/hieroglyphics to text. I'm just glad Chinese hasn't changed all that much if you compare it to the huge changes of other world languages, and their short life-span. 小明 （Always lovely to hear a dialog with my nickname, heh heh)
Posted on: Moving
July 10, 2007 at 2:54 PM"bribbing with beer and pizza"??? Beer yes, as it is cheaper than water, but usually just a nice Chinese mean does without paying for Pizza Hut and other expensive pizza. Still can't believe that 5 guys were willing to move me from my 7th story apartment (no elevator) to a 2nd story apartment across town with furnature and books for only 100RMB ($14 US).
Posted on: Moving
July 10, 2007 at 2:52 PMTo clarify what cc388 said, to make sure you use the right tone, yes, you should say: 我想去中国。 Wo3 xiang3 qu4 Zhong1guo2. Oh woops, I see tucsonmichael beat me to it, and used tone marks. -Rich, in Dalian, and it is still raining in LiaoNing provice and ruining my week holiday
Posted on: Condoms
July 9, 2007 at 12:01 AMXiaodu, good point. And I've always wondered, even though I don't buy them, and no offense to China, but is the quality of condoms as good as in the states? I mean, are the cheap ones as good as the cheap ones in the states? I love China, but I would be a little scared of Chinese-brand condoms...no offense to Chinese... so I could buy the most expensive... but that is just me (if you are going to buy cheap, buy the second to cheapest, that is always a good rule of thumb)
Posted on: I'm bored
July 7, 2007 at 11:03 AMI was on my way to the Shenyang trainstation when this rain happened, now I am bored in an Internet cafe in hopes it will stop. I need to get tickets to go to Dalian on Monday... hope they still have them. 无聊无聊无聊 rcys, I find it so odd that your one and only post is what I just witnessed and my clothes are soaked! 真巧!!!!
Posted on: I'm bored
July 7, 2007 at 10:59 AMYou're also in Shenyang?! I just jumped off the 环 bus and had to swim across the street to take refuge in a 网吧. I am soaked for being out side 3 minutes!!!!
Posted on: Condoms
July 6, 2007 at 1:29 AMArgh! Posting from a cell phone, it seemed to limit my text and have my msg above was lost. Quickly: 5分币 ：大号 2分币 ：中号 1分币 ：小号 Don't know if they even make a small size, but it was in the list. You can try slapping down a 1角 or even 1元， but you might just be laughted at by the 小姐。 :) R 1 ( #
Posted on: Condoms
July 6, 2007 at 1:13 AMEh, aw, heh, umm....*more blushing sound effects here*, wondering, as I do see the wonderfully huge display of 避孕套 at all big 超市 as mentioned above, how much do they go for a box anyway? No price that I can see (go fig, its China we're talking about). I don't buy (sorry, I don't buy as I'm old fashion and choose to wait) so I don't know. But I do know that in every vending machine (all right there at the curb of almost EVERY major road is a full upright chips & snacks vending machine [Amber,got a translation to that word for me?]), almost half is stocked with various kinds of 避孕套 (probably real & knock-off brands haha) and other things for sex that i can't even make out the Chinese, just has that beautiful western girl on the cover, but don't dally too long as I assume anyone using the vend is not going for the 3 week old chips. (how do those machines get power sitting out on the street next to busstops anyway?) To answer your "extra-large" question that I bet you thought wouldn't get answered (but remember XL in China is M in the US, for cloths anyway), here is some tips from the book "Outrageous Chinese" (which I keep hidden under by bed like some school boy, just so Chinese friends won't find it and turn tomato red from embarrassment): don't say anything! No, instead let the money do the talking. You know all those 分 coins you thought were useless that even beggers won't take? Keep a few of them on hand and just whip them out when at the counter where some 美丽 clerk is helping you: 5分币 ：大号
Posted on: Giving up a Seat
July 22, 2007 at 1:02 AMAmber wrote: "Someone the same age as you can call 小姐 (xiǎojie), it's not impolite. " Ah, but when I first learned 小姐 and went to Shanghai in 2002, I called a girl "小姐" that knew my family before, she thought it was mighty strange. Maybe it has to be a 陌生人 (stranger) and not someone you are acquainted with? I'm guessing so... almost like calling someone 服务员 in my mind.