User Comments - wei1xiao4
wei1xiao4
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 24, 2007 at 7:11 AMGood one, aeflow!
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 24, 2007 at 3:01 AMI have a Chinese friend who can, of course, tell where people come from in China when they are speaking Chinese, because of their accent or dialect, or both. The other day we were in Starbucks in Hong Kong and she said to me, "That person is from my hometown." And I said, "Why don't you say hello to them?" She made the strangest face and said, "Chinese people never do that!" It seemed so natural for an American in a foreign country to hear a familiar accent and greet a stranger. This person was obviously from my friend's town in mainland china and was visiting Hong Kong, and my friend thought it would be rude to speak to them. Is this typical behavior? I'm just trying to learn proper Chinese etiquette. Speaking of Chinese etiquette, my former Mandarin teacher took our class to a Chinese restaurant. As soon as we arrived, she asked for hot water and showed us how to rinse all the spoons and bowls in hot water poured from a tea pot. The water was then collected in a bowl and the waiter took it off the table. Is this typical etiquette in China? I haven't experienced it much in Hong Kong. Amber, are you familiar with this?
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 21, 2007 at 7:54 AMOh, by the way, great job Henning. I loved hearing your voice and now when I read your posts, I will associate them with that wonderful accent. I wish we had heard you and your wife speaking Chinese together. Next time!
Posted on: Traveling and Chopsticks
September 21, 2007 at 7:47 AMI wish I had this lesson last month. As we live in Hong Kong, we have had numerous Chinese meals sitting at a big round table with a lazy susan in the middle. Usually everyone just helps themselves. But several weeks ago we were invited out to dinner with some friends to their country club. My husband is a very picky eater and eats no fish, but this is usually never a problem with so many dishes ordered at a typical Chinese dinner. But this time our hostess kept putting food in my husband's dish. She sat between my husband and her son. Moreover, she was taking the bones out of the food for her son. I know you think that sounds really thoughtful of a mother, but her son was 23 years old! When does a Chinese mother stop cutting up her son's food!
Posted on: Number Two
September 2, 2007 at 11:06 AMI think it is interesting that the picture of the western toilet used in the dialog is only a dream for most tourists visiting China!
Posted on: "Thinking" in Chinese: 觉得 (juéde), 认为 (rènwéi) and 以为 (yǐwéi)
August 6, 2007 at 12:46 PMAmber, I love when you "tweek" our Chinese attempts. We all learn from other's postings, and we need continual "tweeking" to help us get it right. This is another great benefit of qing wen! Thanks. And thanks to all who make the effort to post in Chinese. You help the more timid with your postings.
Posted on: Lili and Zhang Liang 17: It's Over (Again)
July 24, 2007 at 6:25 AMThis soap opera has not only taught us lots of new Chinese words and expressions, it has really kept our interest. We obviously don't want it to end. Chinesepod really should consider continuing the story indefinitely. Please!!! PS. Although I myself would like to see Zhang Liang and Lili making up and living happily ever after, my Chinese friends tell me that the number one most important criteria in choosing a mate in China is money, so the story is actually more realistic than western fairytales. Is that really the case?
Posted on: 了 (le): Something's About to Happen
July 14, 2007 at 7:26 AMThis lesson was great. I was referred to it just after asking a question about the use of le in the joke of the day. How timely! Thanks. Henning, can you please explain what you mean by hits on google for translation purposes. I'm really not computer literate and am not sure what you are doing.
Posted on: Saying Sorry
July 6, 2007 at 11:56 PMNot only is Qing Wen helpful, but so is the after banter. I got several new vocab words just from this! Amber, it is wonderful when you answer the questions as they come up. The questions that one person has the courage to voice, are usually on the minds of many. So you are helping a much broader audience. It's great learning from all of you. Thanks!
Posted on: Arrival in Jizhou
September 25, 2007 at 7:01 AMAbout the bathing comment. I went to Ringha in July, near Shangrila. I stayed in a lovely hotel and the first thing they suggested to us was not to shower that night. That recommendation has to do with preventing/recovering from altitude sickness, not to do with personal hygiene. I hope this puts the dialog into a different light, in which the author spoke with knowledge of the area, not prejudice. By the way, we were invited into people's homes. They were as curious about us as we were about them. It was definitely a mutual thing that you could only understand because of the smiles, the interaction, warm feelings generated on both sides. I don't think that it was exploitation on either side. It was admiration for one's fellow man. We are all richer for the experience.