User Comments - jheitz
jheitz
Posted on: Politely Declining an Invitation
August 24, 2010 at 9:00 PMI would suspect insincerity in the phrase "I'll definitely come next time". Why would he cancel a prior appointment for me next time and not this time? That means that he probably could cancel this appointment if I were more interesting company.
The phrase "I'm otherwise busy" I'm cool with. I don't expect everyone to immediately cancel other plans just to have a beer with me.
Posted on: Learning about Levels
August 23, 2010 at 6:07 AMHere's how I pick my level:
Listen to the easy level. Learn it. When I think I've learnt it and there is still time in the week before the next lesson comes out, listen to a lesson of the next level. Now, I frequently find that an ele is just a revision with one or two new words. I still get value from it, so I listen. I'm done with it in one day, so I try an intermediate. Often, I don't completely learn the intermediate before the week is out, but that's ok, I learnt something, even if not all of it.
Posted on: Wrong Way on the Subway
August 12, 2010 at 1:02 AMYeah, I was in one of those circular trains. Then at one station, everyone got off and the English word "Terminal" scrolled across the display. Trouble was that my stop was the one after that. It reminded me of the lesson on trains where John said "then you have adventures".
Posted on: Help at the ATM
August 12, 2010 at 12:52 AMIt's "international" English. English in China is particularly international. You'll get used to it.
Posted on: Organic Food
July 7, 2010 at 2:45 AMAre you referring to 是用有机蔬菜做的 ? I think it's the 是...的 pattern.
Posted on: Visiting a Friend's Room
February 25, 2010 at 1:43 AMWhen the waiter asks "ji wei", using the formal way, do you reply like "san wei" or should you use "san ge"? Is it presumptious to refer to yourself as "wei" and should you be more humble and use "ge"?
Posted on: Executive Plan, Newbie Changes, and More
January 28, 2010 at 5:18 AMI started as a newbie and now do eles and intermediates. I think it's great to have more material at those levels. Also, I think the intermediates have improved tremendously now that John explains in English everything that Jenny says. The newbies have no new material and I skip them now. I mean, newbies, by definition, must have a small set of vocab. I still get value from the eles, so I still listen to them. I think once you have completed and understood 300 newbie lessons, you are certainly no longer a newbie and should have no trouble with eles.
Posted on: 次，遍，趟: Measuring Times
December 7, 2009 at 3:59 AMI think Connie should get back at them in the next lesson. This is just the start. I can't wait...
Posted on: Taxis and Taobao
October 18, 2009 at 8:44 PMBaba, how did you get a link to a future lesson?
Posted on: Ordering Food for the Group
August 29, 2010 at 2:21 AMWhat is the easiest word to say? What word will you say in your last dying breath when you no longer have the strength to move your mouth, your lips or your tongue? What word do you say when you get punched in the guts? Yes, it's the word for "hungry". Now tell me that Chinese is not a food oriented language.