User Comments - caramonn

Posted on: When will he return?

I have been listening to all of the newbie lessons these last 2 weeks and I would like to poste a comment about this.

I liked it. I like Ken jokes. It makes it more fun to learn.

But I think you could/ should focus more on cultural aspect. Chinese culture is so special. I don't want to boast or anything. But I stayed 2 years in Hunan Province. I opened a business there. I realized that even though my Chinese is limited I know a lot more than almost all the foreigners I met who could speak Chinese (that they learned in a secured closed environment, university and such) or had been in China 10 years. Why is that so? Because most foreigners live in Shanghai, Beijing. They deal with Chinese who are themselves accustom to foreigners way. They work in western environment. They didnn't deal with Chinese local administration or police, bargained their way through local market place, hired local workers... Anyway it would be great if KEN could tell us more about some specific Chinese ways in the newbies and intermediate. He says a little but not enough. And Ken is married to a Chinese woman. He had been a teacher many years I guess in different province. He must know a lot.

For me culture was the biggest challenge in China. I made so many mistakes which I could have avoided had I been told how "Chinese think, behave, deal with situation", the impact of culture, of some local customs, of a specific behaviour, the knoweldge of a certain festival.....

Posted on: Is someone in here?

My worst toilet was in a small city in north China in year 2004. I swear I almost threw out because of the smell. There were some kind of dead animals rotting away inside the toilet. I mean I have been to many toilet in China dirty, smelly but I never saw this again. This was really bad. Infection could start from this toilet. gosh.

Posted on: Bumming a Smoke

I am going to teach you something. Smoking in China is not only about smoking. It is a lot more: socialize. You meet someone you offer a cigarette. You need to take a break from the main topic: a cigarette. You need time in the negociation: cigarette.... etc... It seems even the Wrigley's company and others never understood any of this. Nothing can compare with cigarette and has the same functions.