User Comments - weibwo

Posted on: Tool Delivery

Great dialog.  Where were you when I needed the names for these tools.  I was in Beijing working on a project with a company and I needed a phillips screwdriver and I looked and looked in my dictionary and couldn't find the word.  I can't find the Chinese word for "spirit level" or "laser level".  Anyone know the Chinese word for these two?

Posted on: Aussie Rules

Great job Clay.  I am an American but love to watch Aoshi ganlanqiu.  I am allways amazed by the referees when a goal is made.  They run up to the goal and sharply point both fingers toward the ground, which is the equivalent of the two hands raised when a touchdown is made in American football.

Posted on: Ticket Scalper

As a rule I used xiao gu nian for younger women and gu nian with women older than 35 that includes women well into their 50's and 60's and they seemed flattered I must say.  Unfortunately, xiao jie got little or no reponse in Kunming, Xiamen, Xian, Da li, Li Jiang etc.  I was told several times by local residents that gu nian was the preferred address for women.  In a business setting I have no idea what the formal address would be.

Posted on: Ticket Scalper

Just got back from Da Lu.  It seems that xiaojie is seldom used.  They prefer gunian or xiao gunian.  At least that is what I was told.  I used xiao gunian and got better results when addressing women.  Jenny can you confirm this?

Posted on: Taxi Destination

This all works except in Guangzhou.  It seems they refuse to speak or understand Mandarin, not to mention rip you off.

Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Hong Kong

Jenny is absolutely right.  The fengzhao is delicious if done correctly.  I make them at home all the time.  You need to get the proper chicken feet without toe nails.  They are deep fried then steamed with a black bean sauce.  Delicious!!!  Chinese are not the only ones to eat chicken feet.  Germans make chicken feet soup.  The shaomai can contain pork and shrimp combo, shrimp alone, chicken and chicken with pork.  There is also a very good dian xin that we call toufu pi, bean curd skin with pork and a wonderful sauce.  I eat dian xin every week.  Ken, you probably eat vegamite, but turn your nose up to chicken feet.  Hmmmmm????   

Posted on: SBTG: Sun Yatsen

Upper intermediate I think is a great platform for introducing Chinese Literature (Dream of the Red Chamber - a classic, Feng Jicai's The Three Inch Golden Lotus - A contemporary novel about foot binding, Lu Hsun's novels etc.)  Not a scholarly analysis but a discussion about the stories, a synopsis perhaps. 

Posted on: Sightseeing at Tiananmen

I use http://www.nciku.com for translations.  It has a good dictionary and has a tablet where you can practice writing Chinese characters.  This is something I wish Chinesepod would do.

Posted on: Hiking

For terrific biking tours in China go to http://www.bikechina.com

Posted on: Hiking

Moldovan:

Spoken like a perfect effete self professed intellectual.  From 1986-1988 I helped establish and served as an advisor for the Oregon State Governor's Commission for International Studies and Foreign Languages.  We brought in almost all the experts thoughout the US, Europe and Asia on teaching foreign languages and to the person they were all linguists.  When reviewing the proficiency of their students we found that very few (<10%) were proficient in the target language.  Reading skills were emphasized more than speaking skills.  Very few of the students were capable of speaking the target language fluently.  When pressed the language professors all had to admit that grammar was emphasized more than the simple act of speaking the colloquial language.  We concluded that the professional emphasis on linguistics by professors of foreign languages did not prepare our K-12 students to function in a foreign language enviroment.  The only successful program that came to our attention and that met the standards we wanted for our students in Oregon was one that emphasized learning the colloquial language (spoken and written) and de-emphasizing linguistics and grammar.  It has been very successful. 

I have worked off and on in Taiwan and China since 1977.  As to finding a Chinese individual who speaks perfect English, I have found several who not only speak fluent English but without an accent.  Several of whom live in China.  Ms. Zhu's English is impeccable and I cannot find fault.  The Chinesepod mission as I understand it is to provide resources for students of Mandarin Chinese to be used "On their own terms".  Being an expert on language programs that work, I think it very successful, witness the tremendous number of students.  I am sure they are reaching many more students than any "academic" program.  I find no fault with their epistimological approach to learning Chinese.  Perhaps it is their success that has prompted your response.  Be careful your envy is showing.