User Comments - petuniaz

Posted on: Flying a Kite

The original word for kite, many centuries ago, was paper hawk 纸鹰 zhi3 ling1. As the kite evolved, kitemakers attached noisemakers and the name became fengzheng, or wind zither. Zheng 筝 is the word for the musical instrument.

China is said to have invented the kite and has developed more styles than any other country. The most fascinating and unusual is the Nantong banyao which carries up to 100 whistles made from gourds 葫芦, "hulu". The banyao sounds like a ghost or a jet when it flies. I'll never forget hearing several flying in the farmlands on a windy day.

I am making a documentary about the traditional Chinese kite and have met some of China's best traditional kitemakers. Please forgive me for the shameless plug, but for those who are interested to see the many kinds of Chinese kites, including the Nantong banyao in flight: http://windabove.com/

Posted on: Editing a Photo

I put lessons on my Finis SwiMp3, which are headphones for swimmers.  I can listen while doing laps.  How about that?

Posted on: Editing a Photo

This is over my head a bit, too, but I'll get lots of use out of this lesson.  Photoshop, photo retouching, web design and animation are my 商业!  

谢谢!

Posted on: Olympic Swimming

That said, thanks so much for including the names of the different strokes, especially, dieyong!  Wo zui ai kan youyong bisai!

What is the Chinese word for "stroke", like my favorite swimming stroke? 

Maybe  游 泳 做 法?

Posted on: Olympic Swimming

Thanks for this lesson! Swimming is my favorite form of self torture. Just kidding, I love it.  However, I must tell you that butterfly is the most tiring stroke, you have to lift half your body up and it takes a lot of strength.  I think breastroke is the least tiring, as it has a glide.

Posted on: Fat Camp

Urbandweller says,  When I think of Chinese food the first thing I think of is KFC and McDonalds because all my chinese friends are obsessed with those places.

Nodding my head and laughing.  A Chinese friend from Beijing came to the U.S. I wanted to take him to a nice healthy restaurant, but he just wanted to go to Mai4dang1lao2 for a han4bao3bao1.  He is not overweight, though.

Posted on: Fat Camp

Yes, there are still fat camps in the U.S.  The New York Times Magazine has ads in the back pages for them once in awhile

How about that word sha3?  I've learned  傻 瓜, sha3 gua1, silly melon.  Is the meaning as cute as it sounds?

Posted on: Fortunate Cookies

I love collecting the little fortunes and have a zillion in a box somewhere.  I want to make a paper mache mask out of them, and almost have enough.  Won't that look funny? 

Some of them have Chinese language lessons on the back.