User Comments - sushan
sushan
Posted on: 请 (Qǐng) - Please and Beyond
November 23, 2008 at 3:47 AMso if I am having a party that includes dancing at my apartment, how do I invite people?
我请你 来 舞蹈.
请 你 来 跳舞 party.
Posted on: Leaving Luggage with the Hotel
November 23, 2008 at 3:32 AMjunjun, that message is completely creepy. Don't bother getting it translated.
While mountain climbing on Hua Shan this spring, I stopped being annoyed by how crowded the trail was since I was getting the best ever real life vocab lessons in complaining/struggling expressions (辛苦! 痛苦! ) - hilarious!
Posted on: 请 (Qǐng) - Please and Beyond
November 23, 2008 at 3:11 AMI thought party was 派对. No?
Posted on: Moving House and Chinese Wineries
November 15, 2008 at 2:17 PMYep, great show. My favourite Chinese wines were mentioned - Changyu and Suntime. I expect to pay 30-40 rmb for decent wine. I've moved four times so far but have not had much stuff any of the times, so my general mo has been to carry stuff gradually from one place to the next and stick any big items on one of those delivery carts.
Posted on: The Big Deal about Shenzhou 7
November 14, 2008 at 5:13 AM就 'pshong' 一下 (9:56); pshong 怎么 写？
Posted on: No Need to Take off Your Shoes
November 6, 2008 at 3:42 PMHa, I didn't know 袜套、 thanks.
In Sichuanhua shoes are 'haizi' - the same word as 'child' in Mandarin. So there is a typical joke about a 外地人 who is pedaling through town with her little one perched on the back of the bike. She's very alarmed when someone calls out '孩子 掉 咯' but when she turns around the child is fine and is wearing only one shoe.
Posted on: No Need to Take off Your Shoes
November 6, 2008 at 11:12 AMsocks = 袜子 wa4zi
Me (buying shoes) - "can I please have a discount?'
Salesgirl - "Sorry, price is fixed...but I can throw in some free 袜子!"
Me - "What are 袜子?"
Salesgirl reaches down .... and touches my sock. Ok, I get it!
In my experience Koreans are the most insistent on shoe removing - it's supposed to make you feel like you have honoured the house by entering, or something.
Posted on: Battling Internet Addiction
November 6, 2008 at 10:57 AM在 加拿大 有 一位 15 岁 网瘾 的 男孩子 。 他 父母 很 担心 没收 (confiscated?) 了 他 的 xbox. 孩子 很 生气 逃脱。 三 星期 找不到 他。
I can't continue in Chinese because the story is so tragic - some hunters just found the kid's body in a field after he had gone missing for three weeks, having run away from home in a rage after his parents confiscated his Xbox.
Posted on: No Need to Take off Your Shoes
November 6, 2008 at 9:51 AMFunny,heard 拖鞋 (tuo1xie2 slippers) instead of 脱鞋 (tuo1xie2 remove shoes).
The plastic shoe covers are called 鞋套 xie2tao4 and they look ridiculous, but they are handy. Some businesses (like the dentist) have you put them on at the door.
One evening I had many guests over, who donned all my pairs of guest slippers...then some additional guests from Japan came who were completely nonplussed by the lack of slippers and asked me if I had plastic bags. They spent the evening with plastic garbage bags tied over their shoes. From that time I have always kept 鞋套 available for those who wish to use them.
Posted on: The Perfect Sandwich
December 6, 2008 at 5:16 PM'Sandwich' sounds the same in French, too - it's named after a guy.
Chinese luncheon meats often have the same problem (icky sweetness) that the bread, potato chips, and popcorn have. 火腿 is supposed to mean ham...but more and more I've noticed that if a menu item lists 火腿 it often contains Chinese spam, and I am picking the disgusting pink cubes out of my 炒饭 or 粥。 I do like genuine Spam, though.
I really like Subway (赛白味） in China. The vegetables are much fresher and taste less industrial than back home and the bread is great.