User Comments - brendaninaus

Posted on: The Important Difference Between 需 (xū) and 须 (xū)

I also often experience this problem.

It is Ok if I am not running anything else on my computer that has sound, but if I am, I can not use cpod.

Posted on: Tumble Dry or Air Dry

I have had that problem for several lessons with many of the expansion and exercises as well.

Posted on: Checking out the Forbidden City

what was the upper intermediate lesson that was originally there?

While it was not what I expected when I hit the play button, I was learning from it and would like to study it further.

Posted on: Ways to Break Up

hmmmmm.

My wife recently asked to borrow money off me, and we had some arguments over various things before and after that time.

Posted on: Chinese Food at Foreign Prices

In Wangfujin Street in Beijing I was corralled into one restaurant and after seeing the menu prices were ok I ordered a meal.

When the bill came after eating it was about 3 times what I expected (admittedly he did add one meal item I had not seen on the menu).

I asked to see the menu again to check the prices, but "none were available". I paid, but after felt a bit unhappy and went back to complain. They did give me some recompensation but I still got a bot ripped off and didn't like their "it's Wangfujin Street, it is how things work here" explanation.

Many friends say they would never visit China and other parts of Asia because of the ripping off element (although it must be said even the rip off prices are better than what you would get in the West).

Posted on: Alcoholic Attitudes

I can remember I met up with a language exchange partner and they asked what do I do in my free time.

When I mentioned that sometimes, maybe once a week or less, I go to the bar they looked shocked and never contacted me again after that meeting.

Another time I watched a movie, The Upside of Anger with a Chinese friend in which the lead male character, a love interest of the female character, constantly has a alcoholic drink in his hand. My Chinese friend couldn't understand how someone could love a "drunk", even though he wasn't really portrayed as a drunk, just a retired sports star that likes alcohol.

Although I can agree there are issues with alcohol in the west.

Posted on: Broken Bone

I had to visit one in Shanghai after trying to get out of one of those teahouse scams and been pushed over and falling on a beer glass which shattered, sending glass fragments through my hand.

I asked people for the police (not knowing the word for ambulance) thinking they would see that as I was bleeding they would send me to the hospital. But unlike the system I was use to in Australia, the emergency services don't seem to be as linked, so the police wanted me to finalise their investigations and reports before sending me on. And when they did send me on, they got the people from the place that just robbed me to take me there.

Luckily they were sympathetic to me, even though I was reporting them to the police.

The hospital certainly doesn't have the brighter than white feel of hospitals in the west, more of a feel of a bus station than a hospital, and taking equipment out of steel containers that had been disinfected by heating, rather than brand new equipment taken from specialized hygiene packaging made me feel a bit concerned, but the treatment was ok and there were no problems afterwards.

You do need to go and buy (or get someone to buy) the medicines, disinfectants etc. as they often won't supply them.

I did later visit a foreign run medical centre which reduced the over the top bandaging and gave me better antibiotics, but it cost a lot.

To remove the stitches I visited a hospital in Xian. Again it didn't have the feel of a hospital, with people with drips in them outside by the street The doctor there seemed to take a liking to me, prioritising my treatment over seemingly more in need patients, but the treatment was ok.

Posted on: Foreign Father Loses His Cool

Legionarre's bacteria can also occur, and be spread through air conditioning systems (as was the case in the first diagnosed outbreak in 1976 in Philadelphia).

So not by the fan but the air blown by the fan which was treated in a hot water environment.

Posted on: Roommate Hunting

Is the word for housemate the same as that for room mate (室友)?

I know in Asian countries there tends to be more room sharing as well as house sharing, so many of my Chinese friends found it strange that I was in a share house with people of opposite gender or couples.

Posted on: Foreign Father Loses His Cool

there is the potential for Legionarre's disease, which can be spread by air conditioning