User Comments - tdmick

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tdmick

Posted on: Can you Speak Chinese?
April 18, 2008 at 5:10 PM

oops, missed that. Thanks. (I get excited and end up reading through too quickly :)

Posted on: Can you Speak Chinese?
April 8, 2008 at 5:45 PM

Ken noted that saying "I can speak a little bit" may not be clearly interpreted. Is there a way to say "I can speak only VERY LITTLE Chinese" so that it is more emphasized? I am imagining that I may respond to something with one very well executed statement and get a barage of Chinese dialogue in return before I can clearly note that I really do speak "hen yidiar"

Posted on: Noodles without Cilantro
March 19, 2008 at 7:22 PM

As for this topic, I love cilantro, so I will be sure not to use this phrase by mistake :) Thanks again CP, great work as always!

Posted on: Noodles without Cilantro
March 19, 2008 at 7:22 PM

Someone above brought up an intersting point regarding allergies. Not sure where else to ask this, but does anyone out there have any experience, advice etc regarding travelling to Beijing and managing food allergies? I am planning to bring business cards with notes on which foods must be avoided to hand to servers in restaurants. Any other suggestions? Will allergies be met with some understanding or will servers just look at us like we are weird?

Posted on: Friends for Dinner
March 19, 2008 at 5:35 PM

For a laugh, one of the popular chains (I can't honestly understand why it is popular, but to each his own) is called Ho Lee Chow (a take on a saying here like Holy Cow meant to express amazement) it makes me laugh, but at the same time it seems somewhat insulting too. Maybe I'm just sensitive.

Posted on: Friends for Dinner
March 19, 2008 at 5:33 PM

Thanks John Chen above for your discussion notes. Said much of what was on my mind. I am in the Toronto area and much of what I heard here in regards to the "American" view of Chinese food amazes me. This is perhaps because of my experience with Chinese culture which is rampant here. Obviously how we view "real" Chinese food varies depending on our location in North America. Having said that, it still amazes me that in this shrinking world where cultures are blending more and more and information about other cultures is readily available, I find it amazing that anyone who would even consider going to China in the first place would find the fact that Chinese food in China is "surprisingly" not the same as in the U.S. (or Canada for that matter) Surely if someone were interested enough to go to China it would be obvious that the food eaten in North American "Chinese" restaurants (And I use that term very very loosely) is not even remotely similar to real Chinese food!? I feel almost embarassed that people might now think that I, as a Canadian, only know about chicken balls and chop sewy (or however you spell it) and these things Aric described. So I do feel the overwhelming need to say... the food described here as North American Chinese does NOT necessarily represent what we think is Chinese Food. For me, this was the food I ate when I was a kid, before world cultures really became integrated into this city. Now, I would not touch that pitiful excuse of food to save my life. I eat REAL Chinese, often in restaurants that don't even have English language menus. mmmmm... Can't wait to get to Beijing to experience it for real. Thanks CP!

Posted on: After You
March 12, 2008 at 6:05 PM

Living in Toronto I always found it mildly amusing to be completely bowled over or almost knocked off my feet by 80lb elderly seemingly stronger-than-they-look Chinese women while getting on a streetcar. Now I know where that comes from : )

Posted on: Is someone in here?
March 12, 2008 at 5:59 PM

whew! Thank you for that tidbit of info angela2. I am finding myself feeling ever growing anxiety over this issue as my trip to Beijing draws closer and closer - call me a wimp

Posted on: How have you been?
March 10, 2008 at 6:14 PM

I'm pracitcing with my two Chinese counterparts here at work and each time I start the day with a new version of the morning greeting I get big smiles. Funny - when I responded to how I was with "wo bu mang" they didn't understand me - not my language but rather the concept, they are always "hen mang"! I am dying to use my new favourite phrase "Zhendeme? Weishenme?" but the opportunity has not arisen. Thanks again for broadening my morning conversations :)

Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
March 2, 2008 at 12:26 AM

oh my... as a dietitian I loathe the idea of ever setting foot in a MacDonalds, but I am feeling a strange sense of comfort in knowing that there are several hundred of them in Beijing. Now I just hope I don't have to actually eat there to be allowed to use the toilet ;)