<![CDATA[Comments on: A Charming Café in Shanghai]]> Voila! Bistro, a charming little café in the French Concession in Shanghai. Voila! has gathered a following for its fresh and delicious crêpes and gelato. Charles and I also talk about identity. Born in Shanghai, raised in the States, how does he see himself and what does it feel like to be in Shanghai?]]> 2009-12-07 22:00:00 <![CDATA[By: zhuimia]]> besides Shanghai dailect, can the interviewee also speak Mandarin Chinese?

Is F&B "French Bistro" ?

What made him decide to open a French restaurant rather than an Italian restaurant or American restaurant?

]]> besides Shanghai dailect, can the interviewee also speak Mandarin Chinese?

Is F&B "French Bistro" ?

What made him decide to open a French restaurant rather than an Italian restaurant or American restaurant?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> @zhuimia

Is F&B "French Bistro" ?

I assume your question is serious and it raises a good point - way too much jargon.  People who do not use these words feel alienated.  It's 'food and beverage' by the way. I counted about seven or eight words and expressions in his chat that would not be understood by many native English speakers. I don't know what commanding/demanding means.   

BTW I heard a word I have never heard before in my life: CREPP.  :-)  RJ will be on my case suggesting that I am joking, but no, I have never in all my years heard it pronounced that way.  If it is the French then I will have to bow to authentic pronunciation.   

Your question about whether he can speak Standard Chinese is not crazy.  I used to go and talk to a Chinese shop owner near me in Sydney and her twenty year old daughter, born in Sydney, claims to 'not understand a word' of Standard Chinese.  She was never sent to Chinese school.  But she understands Shanghaihua because that is what she hears all the time at home.    

]]> @zhuimia

Is F&B "French Bistro" ?

I assume your question is serious and it raises a good point - way too much jargon.  People who do not use these words feel alienated.  It's 'food and beverage' by the way. I counted about seven or eight words and expressions in his chat that would not be understood by many native English speakers. I don't know what commanding/demanding means.   

BTW I heard a word I have never heard before in my life: CREPP.  :-)  RJ will be on my case suggesting that I am joking, but no, I have never in all my years heard it pronounced that way.  If it is the French then I will have to bow to authentic pronunciation.   

Your question about whether he can speak Standard Chinese is not crazy.  I used to go and talk to a Chinese shop owner near me in Sydney and her twenty year old daughter, born in Sydney, claims to 'not understand a word' of Standard Chinese.  She was never sent to Chinese school.  But she understands Shanghaihua because that is what she hears all the time at home.    

]]> <![CDATA[By: suxiaoya]]> @Zhumia, I believe Charles is most comfortable using English or Shanghaihua, but he can also speak Mandarin.

Charles is a friend of a few of us in the ChinesePod office, so it's great to see him making a success of this venture, especially considering all the hard work that was involved at the start. 

Oh, and to anyone in Shanghai who might be considering a visit to Voila!, I can personally recommend the gelato and homemade hummous!

 

 

 

 

 

]]> @Zhumia, I believe Charles is most comfortable using English or Shanghaihua, but he can also speak Mandarin.

Charles is a friend of a few of us in the ChinesePod office, so it's great to see him making a success of this venture, especially considering all the hard work that was involved at the start. 

Oh, and to anyone in Shanghai who might be considering a visit to Voila!, I can personally recommend the gelato and homemade hummous!

 

 

 

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: christine30550]]> Hi bodawei,

Your comment on the crêpe reminded me of a funny little misunderstanding I had with my American cousin who had no idea what we were talking about when we suggested making crêpes (也就是"crepp") for breakfast. Only after we had practically finished making them it dawned on him: "oh, CRAPES"! (which in turn probably no French speaking person would understand)

]]> Hi bodawei,

Your comment on the crêpe reminded me of a funny little misunderstanding I had with my American cousin who had no idea what we were talking about when we suggested making crêpes (也就是"crepp") for breakfast. Only after we had practically finished making them it dawned on him: "oh, CRAPES"! (which in turn probably no French speaking person would understand)

]]> <![CDATA[By: frances]]> That's interesting. Crepe is probably pronounced both ways, but I checked a couple of American English dictionaries, and both identified "crape" as the English pronunciation. Neither mentioned the more francophone version as an option. The British English dictionary that I checked listed only "crepp".

I was also stumped by f&b. Now that it's been explained, I'm still not certain what qualifies as a "food and beverage" store. Just restaurants, or also groceries? While I was listening I thought it must be "something & breakfast" since that seemed to be the kind of restaurant being described.

For 咖啡馆 (kāfēigǔan), Jenny suggested "café" as a translation. I've always understood there to be a significant difference between a café and a coffee shop. Can 咖啡馆 refer to either?

]]> That's interesting. Crepe is probably pronounced both ways, but I checked a couple of American English dictionaries, and both identified "crape" as the English pronunciation. Neither mentioned the more francophone version as an option. The British English dictionary that I checked listed only "crepp".

I was also stumped by f&b. Now that it's been explained, I'm still not certain what qualifies as a "food and beverage" store. Just restaurants, or also groceries? While I was listening I thought it must be "something & breakfast" since that seemed to be the kind of restaurant being described.

For 咖啡馆 (kāfēigǔan), Jenny suggested "café" as a translation. I've always understood there to be a significant difference between a café and a coffee shop. Can 咖啡馆 refer to either?

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhuimia]]> another question I have about the interviewee is: he mentioned he doesn't smoke, but still carries a pack of cigarettes for when he wants to meet/talk to people. Don't the people get offended when he offers them a cigarette but refuses to smoke with them? And if they don't, doesn't he feel bad as a person for putting cigarettes in people's mouths but not smoking, himself, because he knows how unhealthy it is, given that he is so health minded. Doesn't that mentality go against his vision of "being healthy" by eating right and drinking fresh pure juice?

]]> another question I have about the interviewee is: he mentioned he doesn't smoke, but still carries a pack of cigarettes for when he wants to meet/talk to people. Don't the people get offended when he offers them a cigarette but refuses to smoke with them? And if they don't, doesn't he feel bad as a person for putting cigarettes in people's mouths but not smoking, himself, because he knows how unhealthy it is, given that he is so health minded. Doesn't that mentality go against his vision of "being healthy" by eating right and drinking fresh pure juice?

]]> <![CDATA[By: RJ]]> bodawei,

A crêpe (English pronunciation: /ˈkreɪp/, French: [kʀɛp];

actually, I also pronounce it crepe. I always liked crepe suzettes but having been raised in a hungarian family, we called them "palacinta".

]]> bodawei,

A crêpe (English pronunciation: /ˈkreɪp/, French: [kʀɛp];

actually, I also pronounce it crepe. I always liked crepe suzettes but having been raised in a hungarian family, we called them "palacinta".

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Thanks RJ (and others); I can rely on poddies to keep me on the straight and narrow.  Still strikes me as funny (I'm Australian remember) - we love a laugh about pretentious sounding pronunciations.  

@zhuimia

My experience with 'cigarettes' is as follows - early 2000s handing round a ciggie was still common.  In 2004 I came to China for a few weeks and noted that it was perfectly fine to refuse a cigarette saying 'it's not good for my health.' Discussions about health followed - people I met were apparently quite health conscious.  I was here for a year from mid-2006 and I came to the conclusion that smoking a cigarette was no longer an essential part of doing business. Switch to the present - I've been here about four months and I have been offered a cigarette once.  (And this is the wild West.)  There are of course still plenty of smokers but pressing cigarettes on someone is a dying tradition ('scuse the pun.)     

]]> Thanks RJ (and others); I can rely on poddies to keep me on the straight and narrow.  Still strikes me as funny (I'm Australian remember) - we love a laugh about pretentious sounding pronunciations.  

@zhuimia

My experience with 'cigarettes' is as follows - early 2000s handing round a ciggie was still common.  In 2004 I came to China for a few weeks and noted that it was perfectly fine to refuse a cigarette saying 'it's not good for my health.' Discussions about health followed - people I met were apparently quite health conscious.  I was here for a year from mid-2006 and I came to the conclusion that smoking a cigarette was no longer an essential part of doing business. Switch to the present - I've been here about four months and I have been offered a cigarette once.  (And this is the wild West.)  There are of course still plenty of smokers but pressing cigarettes on someone is a dying tradition ('scuse the pun.)     

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhenlijiang]]> 谢谢 Bodawei, that's a great answer re social smoking.
I've wanted to know about that too.

]]> 谢谢 Bodawei, that's a great answer re social smoking.
I've wanted to know about that too.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> 对不起，F&B is 'food and beverage'，餐饮/cān yǐn.

Should have cleared that up.

@zhuima,

Re smoking, it is still very relevant for certain crowds (generational to a large degree). For example, the contract workers who were decorating my apartment, I bought food, drinks for them but cigarettes were their favorite gift by far. It was a way of showing appreciation and care (how ironic).  

]]> 对不起，F&B is 'food and beverage'，餐饮/cān yǐn.

Should have cleared that up.

@zhuima,

Re smoking, it is still very relevant for certain crowds (generational to a large degree). For example, the contract workers who were decorating my apartment, I bought food, drinks for them but cigarettes were their favorite gift by far. It was a way of showing appreciation and care (how ironic).  

]]>