<![CDATA[Comments on: Catching a Train]]> 2010-07-18 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> at least taking the train, security checks are a lot simpler than at airports.

]]> at least taking the train, security checks are a lot simpler than at airports.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> People often push in - security queues, taxi queues, at the bank, the post office, 等等，it takes its toll.  After a couple of years experience I believe that there is no point saying anything.  The best outcome is you start an argument and I am always going to lose.  I watched a queue argument at the supermarket that went for at least 10, maybe 15, minutes.  All the way to the check-out.  I don't have that many swear words.  Those arguments are much more fun to watch than be a party to.    

Recently lining up to check in at the airport a guy tried to walk past me in the queue and somehow without thinking (it might have been the big important looking bag I saw out of the corner of my eye, or just the accumulation of resentment from countless similar events) I elbowed him 'no look' right in the ribs as he passed.  Without saying a word.  He looked quite surprised that a mild-looking foreigner would turn to violence, but he also could not be absolutely sure that it was deliberate.  He quickly went and pushed in somewhere else, two or three queues along.  I really surprised myself and I'm not advocating this as a general approach.  

]]> People often push in - security queues, taxi queues, at the bank, the post office, 等等，it takes its toll.  After a couple of years experience I believe that there is no point saying anything.  The best outcome is you start an argument and I am always going to lose.  I watched a queue argument at the supermarket that went for at least 10, maybe 15, minutes.  All the way to the check-out.  I don't have that many swear words.  Those arguments are much more fun to watch than be a party to.    

Recently lining up to check in at the airport a guy tried to walk past me in the queue and somehow without thinking (it might have been the big important looking bag I saw out of the corner of my eye, or just the accumulation of resentment from countless similar events) I elbowed him 'no look' right in the ribs as he passed.  Without saying a word.  He looked quite surprised that a mild-looking foreigner would turn to violence, but he also could not be absolutely sure that it was deliberate.  He quickly went and pushed in somewhere else, two or three queues along.  I really surprised myself and I'm not advocating this as a general approach.  

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhenlijiang]]> I just hate the whole idea of having to wear a fierce, don't-mess-with-me look ("aura", as we like to say these days in Japanese) in order to preempt people abusing you like that. And the whole idea / stereotype of the loud, spunky Asian girl with lots of attitude has always turned me off. I'm mild-looking--very average I'd say for a Japanese. If that means I can't survive in "ruder" areas of the world then too bad I guess. That's just the way it is.

]]> I just hate the whole idea of having to wear a fierce, don't-mess-with-me look ("aura", as we like to say these days in Japanese) in order to preempt people abusing you like that. And the whole idea / stereotype of the loud, spunky Asian girl with lots of attitude has always turned me off. I'm mild-looking--very average I'd say for a Japanese. If that means I can't survive in "ruder" areas of the world then too bad I guess. That's just the way it is.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jennyzhu]]> A friend's dad once called me "小朱同志"/ziǎozhū tóngzhì. Was probably the only time I was ever called a "comrade".

]]> A friend's dad once called me "小朱同志"/ziǎozhū tóngzhì. Was probably the only time I was ever called a "comrade".

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> "Comrade Piggy"? Hehe...

But I've never ever been called "comrade"... :(

]]> "Comrade Piggy"? Hehe...

But I've never ever been called "comrade"... :(

]]> <![CDATA[By: dropped_chopstick]]> John 下次你来北京，我带你去一个有同志的地方。我保证，他们肯定会叫你同志。

]]> John 下次你来北京，我带你去一个有同志的地方。我保证，他们肯定会叫你同志。

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> Seems to be my day for noticing things I hadn't noticed before. I have noticed that if I play a lesson on my iphone [not done this in a very long time] it will give the lesson dialogue written on the screen as you listen. I've never had this in windows media player before though till this lesson. Is this something new from CPod or have I fluked it somehow and the capability has always been there?

]]> Seems to be my day for noticing things I hadn't noticed before. I have noticed that if I play a lesson on my iphone [not done this in a very long time] it will give the lesson dialogue written on the screen as you listen. I've never had this in windows media player before though till this lesson. Is this something new from CPod or have I fluked it somehow and the capability has always been there?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> ps. As cool as that is, I prefer to listen first without any cues to see what I can work out by myself. The written dialogue is coming up right over my wmp controls. Is there anyway of turning it off/hiding it for the first run through?

]]> ps. As cool as that is, I prefer to listen first without any cues to see what I can work out by myself. The written dialogue is coming up right over my wmp controls. Is there anyway of turning it off/hiding it for the first run through?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> ah, suan le ba...I've just answered my own question...right click...click on lyrics/captions/titles....click off . Great, so that can be toggled on and off.

]]> ah, suan le ba...I've just answered my own question...right click...click on lyrics/captions/titles....click off . Great, so that can be toggled on and off.

]]> <![CDATA[By: cwillfor]]> Did I hear correctly that comrade can refer to a gay person? Is it a derogative term?

]]> Did I hear correctly that comrade can refer to a gay person? Is it a derogative term?

]]> <![CDATA[By: cwillfor]]> Here's a potential topic: horrible train stories.  While travelling from Beijing to Xi'an, we shared a car with a man who snored so loudly that we couldn't sleep!  I was tempted to pay the extra money for a private car, but my wife talked me out of it. 

By the way, how do you say the different types of tickets (e.g., hard sleeper, soft sleeper, etc.)?

怎么叫不同种的火车票？(Did I ask that correctly?)

]]> Here's a potential topic: horrible train stories.  While travelling from Beijing to Xi'an, we shared a car with a man who snored so loudly that we couldn't sleep!  I was tempted to pay the extra money for a private car, but my wife talked me out of it. 

By the way, how do you say the different types of tickets (e.g., hard sleeper, soft sleeper, etc.)?

怎么叫不同种的火车票？(Did I ask that correctly?)

]]> <![CDATA[By: eupnea63355]]> I was wondering if this practice of stealing a position in the line transfers to other environments, such as the supermarket? How about during traffic while driving? I am in the states, and when I go to the Chinese market the lines are pretty "tight." That is, people crowd themselves, one behind the other. I'm one who likes her space, so this crowding, I do notice.

The potential difficulty of using a train in China is one more thing that I find a scary deterrent to going there to study.

]]> I was wondering if this practice of stealing a position in the line transfers to other environments, such as the supermarket? How about during traffic while driving? I am in the states, and when I go to the Chinese market the lines are pretty "tight." That is, people crowd themselves, one behind the other. I'm one who likes her space, so this crowding, I do notice.

The potential difficulty of using a train in China is one more thing that I find a scary deterrent to going there to study.

]]> <![CDATA[By: sebire]]> I had no problems catching trains in China without English assistance, and my Chinese is fairly rudimentary. If you can say "I want to go to x on Thursday", and you know the word for top, middle, bottom and hard sleeper, it's not difficult at all.

]]> I had no problems catching trains in China without English assistance, and my Chinese is fairly rudimentary. If you can say "I want to go to x on Thursday", and you know the word for top, middle, bottom and hard sleeper, it's not difficult at all.

]]> <![CDATA[By: tucsonmichael]]> http://chinesepod.com/lessons/train-to-beijing

]]> http://chinesepod.com/lessons/train-to-beijing

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> I was called 同志 once last year, by a stranger, an old guy about my age, who wanted to stop me taking a photo. He certainly caught my attention. :)

]]> I was called 同志 once last year, by a stranger, an old guy about my age, who wanted to stop me taking a photo. He certainly caught my attention. :)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Stealing a position in line happens more often than in Australia, and yes it happens in supermarkets if the stakes are high enough (potential 15 - 20 minute wait at the checkout). Yes, on the road - bus beats car, big car beats small car, expensive car beats cheap car, etc. Re train travel, just consider buying your tickets part of your studies.

]]> Stealing a position in line happens more often than in Australia, and yes it happens in supermarkets if the stakes are high enough (potential 15 - 20 minute wait at the checkout). Yes, on the road - bus beats car, big car beats small car, expensive car beats cheap car, etc. Re train travel, just consider buying your tickets part of your studies.

]]> <![CDATA[By: zhenlijiang]]> Not spunky--I meant tough, sassy maybe. Anyway it's a stereotype.

]]> Not spunky--I meant tough, sassy maybe. Anyway it's a stereotype.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jiangrongfeng]]> the ninth sentence in the expansion section has a mistake in it: the traditional version of 系好 ISN'T the same. It should be 繫好

]]> the ninth sentence in the expansion section has a mistake in it: the traditional version of 系好 ISN'T the same. It should be 繫好

]]> <![CDATA[By: in_montreal]]> Hi.  Is it OK to use cóng 从 in place of yóu 由  .  Do they mean about the same thing?

thanks.

]]> Hi.  Is it OK to use cóng 从 in place of yóu 由  .  Do they mean about the same thing?

thanks.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> John's comment that 开往青岛方向 sounded like it almost sounds like they're not going to get there made me notice 开往。。向 has the kwx initials...all a grand joke...just like this grand central joke [where they're going to be 来不及】：

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

]]> John's comment that 开往青岛方向 sounded like it almost sounds like they're not going to get there made me notice 开往。。向 has the kwx initials...all a grand joke...just like this grand central joke [where they're going to be 来不及】：

http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]>

bodawei,

thanks for sharing your experiences generously as always. I was trying to picture it and what you meant by "no look"....I took this to mean one of two things....the more likely that you meant you were looking the other way to enhance the impression it was accidental [but then if you were looking the other way did you capture the initial reaction or did you look around straight after to capture it?]...the less likely that you were flapping your arm about to point to something like a sign he [or someone you were with] should look at and in this movement you accidentally elbowed him. I guess you could mean that you just weren't looking at his ribs but weren't looking in the other direction either.

ps hehe, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall and checked out your acting skills ;)

]]>

bodawei,

thanks for sharing your experiences generously as always. I was trying to picture it and what you meant by "no look"....I took this to mean one of two things....the more likely that you meant you were looking the other way to enhance the impression it was accidental [but then if you were looking the other way did you capture the initial reaction or did you look around straight after to capture it?]...the less likely that you were flapping your arm about to point to something like a sign he [or someone you were with] should look at and in this movement you accidentally elbowed him. I guess you could mean that you just weren't looking at his ribs but weren't looking in the other direction either.

ps hehe, I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall and checked out your acting skills ;)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> wo di yi ci mingbai le,erqie qianwan bie biancheng..jiayou !

]]> wo di yi ci mingbai le,erqie qianwan bie biancheng..jiayou !

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> ..and what did you take his meaning to be?

]]> ..and what did you take his meaning to be?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> hahadaxiao

]]> hahadaxiao

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> xiangqilai "forever laowai" de tiezi ,suoyi di yi ci youren jiao ni tongzhi de shihou ni jiu zhidao ni yihou bushi laowai ...wo jianyi ni gen dropped_chopstick chuqu nage difang

]]> xiangqilai "forever laowai" de tiezi ,suoyi di yi ci youren jiao ni tongzhi de shihou ni jiu zhidao ni yihou bushi laowai ...wo jianyi ni gen dropped_chopstick chuqu nage difang

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> I'd like to know if I, a nianqingren [er laowai],can use tongzhi in the old fashioned way? I'd also like to be called a tongzhi in the original sense.

]]> I'd like to know if I, a nianqingren [er laowai],can use tongzhi in the old fashioned way? I'd also like to be called a tongzhi in the original sense.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> The above discussion seems to be mainly referring to pushing in line. However in the dialogue it is talking about asking to be let in line. I'm wondering what the most common responses would be to such a request and also what the feeling/reaction of people further back in the line is likely to be.

]]> The above discussion seems to be mainly referring to pushing in line. However in the dialogue it is talking about asking to be let in line. I'm wondering what the most common responses would be to such a request and also what the feeling/reaction of people further back in the line is likely to be.

]]> <![CDATA[By: dropped_chopstick]]> Tongzhi is not a derogatory term and is mainly used within the gay community. Thankfully, China is largely free of the hateful religious-based homophobia of the west.

]]> Tongzhi is not a derogatory term and is mainly used within the gay community. Thankfully, China is largely free of the hateful religious-based homophobia of the west.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Well, it was a bit of both I think. I remember seeing this guy coming to my queue from some way off - so I marked him as someone who might try to push in (he looked 'important'). I decided to try and head him off (I had already waited quite a while by the rules) by shifting my luggage into his path, which I did without looking at him, and in 'flapping my arm' so to speak in the process of lifting my luggage (with a kind of flourish) it caught him a beauty. You could say he was blind-sided. I think he was unsure about my intent, but my silence probably gave him the cue and he headed straightaway to another queue. The 'no look' is the expression used by Ray Warren in calling the Rugby league - it's when one player passes to another while looking straight ahead (the type of pass that the punters love but coaches hate.)

]]> Well, it was a bit of both I think. I remember seeing this guy coming to my queue from some way off - so I marked him as someone who might try to push in (he looked 'important'). I decided to try and head him off (I had already waited quite a while by the rules) by shifting my luggage into his path, which I did without looking at him, and in 'flapping my arm' so to speak in the process of lifting my luggage (with a kind of flourish) it caught him a beauty. You could say he was blind-sided. I think he was unsure about my intent, but my silence probably gave him the cue and he headed straightaway to another queue. The 'no look' is the expression used by Ray Warren in calling the Rugby league - it's when one player passes to another while looking straight ahead (the type of pass that the punters love but coaches hate.)

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> oh, I don't think Rugby League would be the same without Ray Warren's calling which adds a great flavour, but I haven't watched in some time so didn't pick up the reference...well explained. Maybe he should start a reality tv show where he calls queue behaviour, hehe.

]]> oh, I don't think Rugby League would be the same without Ray Warren's calling which adds a great flavour, but I haven't watched in some time so didn't pick up the reference...well explained. Maybe he should start a reality tv show where he calls queue behaviour, hehe.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> I wonder what he would call my move where I shift my weight and put my arms on my hips casually so that I completely accidentally elbow that person that I did not see trying to sneak in beside me.

]]> I wonder what he would call my move where I shift my weight and put my arms on my hips casually so that I completely accidentally elbow that person that I did not see trying to sneak in beside me.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> it just might be your own signature move...perhaps you could call it the oranzhǒuinya 巧计 or 伎俩

]]> it just might be your own signature move...perhaps you could call it the oranzhǒuinya 巧计 or 伎俩

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> 呵呵，I would say it works about 80% of the time.

]]> 呵呵，I would say it works about 80% of the time.

]]> <![CDATA[By: jiangrongfeng]]> Thank you ,jiangrongfeng, for letting us know of the mistake we made. We'll change it soon so that people learn proper Chinese

]]> Thank you ,jiangrongfeng, for letting us know of the mistake we made. We'll change it soon so that people learn proper Chinese

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> 被动攻击 :-p

]]> 被动攻击 :-p

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> Hi Barbs, sorry I missed this. He used the term just as one bloke to another - like 'maaaaate' - I don't really know how common it is. I would guess more in my age group, among men rather than women. I do wonder if it is old Party guys just using it out of habit.

]]> Hi Barbs, sorry I missed this. He used the term just as one bloke to another - like 'maaaaate' - I don't really know how common it is. I would guess more in my age group, among men rather than women. I do wonder if it is old Party guys just using it out of habit.

]]> <![CDATA[By: socratesinsichuan]]> I've actually found firmly stating 请排队！can be very effective, especially if there are others around.

]]> I've actually found firmly stating 请排队！can be very effective, especially if there are others around.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 谢谢你的说明

]]> 谢谢你的说明

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

in limited circumstances I agree. but if you are at the post office and the queue has 12 people all in the number 1 position then it is not effective. also it doesn't work at the bus stop. or fighting for a taxi. if you are ordering kids around it may work.

]]> @socrates

in limited circumstances I agree. but if you are at the post office and the queue has 12 people all in the number 1 position then it is not effective. also it doesn't work at the bus stop. or fighting for a taxi. if you are ordering kids around it may work.

]]> <![CDATA[By: starky]]> Does "怎么叫不同种的..." translate correctly and/or is it 地道的中文? It seems to be a literal translation of English to Chinese.

]]> Does "怎么叫不同种的..." translate correctly and/or is it 地道的中文? It seems to be a literal translation of English to Chinese.

]]> <![CDATA[By: connie]]> 可以问："怎么说不同种类的火车票？"

]]> 可以问："怎么说不同种类的火车票？"

]]> <![CDATA[By: hpp23]]> In Taiwan "同志" means "homosexual" (slang).

]]> In Taiwan "同志" means "homosexual" (slang).

]]> <![CDATA[By: grady_vampire]]> so i guess i should use it carefully.. in casee cause troubles..lol

]]> so i guess i should use it carefully.. in casee cause troubles..lol

]]> <![CDATA[By: lingzhi_hao]]> yes, no problem.

]]> yes, no problem.

]]> <![CDATA[By: handsomeboy]]> 同志是很老的词了，现在我们都用先生、小姐或者师傅，因为现在同志是同性恋者的意思。

]]> 同志是很老的词了，现在我们都用先生、小姐或者师傅，因为现在同志是同性恋者的意思。

]]>