User Comments - yase
yase
Posted on: Shikumen vs. Hutongs and Chinese vs. Western School
October 18, 2008 at 1:54 AMGreat stuff, Amber.
If anyone is pasing through Beijing, there is a small hutong restaurant called Cafe Sambal which serves Malaysian /Singapore type food. The building is still quite atmospheric inside , not really modernized that much, and worth going to once for a meal - up near the Drum Tower ( Gu lou area). A little expensive, though.
Posted on: The Boy That Cried Wolf
October 12, 2008 at 2:53 AMFully agree your comments , RJ.
That was a truly great 'wolf in sheep's clothing' lesson and seeing the speaker (Miss Jenny !) in full action also really helped to reinforce the understanding.
What is it to be next - a newbie or elementary lesson with only sign language and we have to guess the words ?
Posted on: The My Minefield
August 31, 2008 at 1:53 AMXie xie nimen - wo hen xihuan wode (womende ?) Qing Wen ke
Posted on: On Location at the Beijing 2008 Olympics
August 23, 2008 at 9:42 AMGreat stuff, Amber.
Besides seeing the lightning Bolt beak the world record in the 100 m at the Bird's Nest, we were also fortunate enough to see him win the 200 m also with new world record ( po shi jie jilu 破世界记录）and also the Jamaican team break the record for the 4 * 100 relay. Bolt was just awesome, and his showboating very amusing - the Chinese crowd loved him.
Posted on: Chinglish in Reverse and University Culture
August 16, 2008 at 2:31 AMJust woken up after my first excursion yesterday to the Bird's Nest . Wonderful experience seeing some of the world's top athletes performing in the 100 metres. Got back very late after also seeing some of the tennis semis - Nadal shenme de. These platers hit the ball soooo hard. Half of the stadium were also in the bus taking me home, I think.
Not much to contribute to the zhonglish discussion - I tend to use 'keyi' a lot, or 'hai keyi' in everyday speaking with foreign friends, also 'hao de' creeps in to almost all my English sentences somewhere.
'Mafan' must be my all time favourite, though, for frequency. Every day there is always 'mafan' happening in some way or other in Beijing, but normally amusing 'mafan'. Enjoy it - these experiences normally make good stories.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 2: Welcome to the Team
August 12, 2008 at 9:45 AMDoes Wang's team operate in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Beijing.That building on the photo sure looks like it to me on Jianguomenwaidajie ?
Posted on: The More Than One Child Policy and Taking Trains
August 10, 2008 at 1:15 AMRe the child policy, many families can now afford more than one child and could in principle happily afford the fine, but in my experience from talking to local friends, there is still a feeling that this is not a patriotic thing to do - especially if one or both of the parents is a government official. Can lead to demotion in certain cases !
Also, different rules seem to apply to Chinese families temporarily living or working overseas ( or even in HK). More choice or freedom applies in these circumstances.
Posted on: The More Than One Child Policy and Taking Trains
August 10, 2008 at 1:11 AMI travel on trains in China but find there is not much luggage space in the sleeper sections. Smallish bags / backpacks can fit under the lower bunk or you somehow fit it on the bunk itself and sleep with it. Anything bigger can be a real hassle, and may end up occupying a large part of your sleeping area.
Posted on: Olympic Excitement
August 8, 2008 at 1:54 AMLiving in Beijing, I am really excited. I have a few tickets for track and field semis and finals on various days and cannot wait to see them, including watching the 110 m hurdler Liu Xiang in front of his local fans and the expectation of 1.3 billion Chinese willing him on. Should be awesome.
I had better wear a red and yellow outfit that day !.
Posted on: Shikumen vs. Hutongs and Chinese vs. Western School
October 18, 2008 at 2:00 AMI do some financial teaching to mature university educated Chinese students / office employees around China.
Even at this level, most of them just want everything in rote format; examples to copy; slides to memorize etc. Getting people to think outside the box, or arounds the corners and apply new knowledge is almost impossible.
It is quite disheartening, and almost nobody ever asks questions - partly cultural historical reasons, also they do not want to lose face, or stand out amongst their colleagues. It is a real effort to get them to talk and discuss. But, one must keep trying ...