New Topic Suggestions

I was thinking maybe: * "You have the wrong number" for when you dial the wrong telephone number (I do that often) :D * "Prank calls", like receiving a prank call or telling someone about it. * "I lost my..." for when you are asking if someone has seen you lost _______ . * "Book genres" telling someone about a book you are reading -- what its about, what genre, ertc. I will post more as I think of them.

I'd like to suggest a lesson on the "four great inventions" 四大发明 [sì dà fā míng] compass, gunpowder, paper and printing. I wouldn't mind if these were presented in a way to dispute the validity of attributing it to Chinese culture ;-)

HAPPY - "When she smiles, she has dimples," I don't know how to say that. :)

What about how to tell someone that you take over his place and he can go to his half-an-hour-brake (inspired by reality)

I think #5 would be a useful lesson that I don't believe has been done yet. There is a particular way Chinese people describe characters when there is confusion or when talking to a foreigner. The way radicals are referred to is good vocabulary. For example to describe the character 证 a Chinese person might say "言字旁 (name of the radical),正常的正".

How about a weather forecast with lows and highs, scattered showers, drizzle and further north the occasional snow and sleet?

There already is a number 4 and 7, perhaps just not in as much detail, or with as much supplementary vocab, as you described.

I would like a translation/explanation of "to chat / computer expressions like IMHO, BTW, LOL, RTFM" in English first. Being rather computer illiterate and not an English native speaker, I haven't figured them out yet.

Here's my go: IMHO = in my humble/honest opinion = 我想... BTW = by the way = 顺便... LOL = laugh out loud = 哈哈 I dont know what RTFM is in English. And a note on the usage of 顺便 (shun4bian4--I think): it's almost always followed by 我想告诉你 or 我想问你一下, and then whatever it is you wanted to tell them.

read the ^&#%ing manual, Kyle.

Ok, CPod does have one for "Wrong number" but how about: * "Stranger safety", dont talk to strangers, what to do if a stranger talks to you, etc. It would be a conversation between a parent and a child obviously.

Got another one: the superlative to LOL: ROFL "(rolling on the floor, laughing") Does anybody know if there is a Chinese version of "&#%" - not for the intended word (learned that one before), but for the masking characters "&#%"?

It looks like 去读该死的手册! (qù dú gāi sǐ de shǒucè) is an appropriate albeit slightly more polite way of saying it in RTFM Chinese.

How about a lesson on AIDS maybe on World Aids Day (December, 1)?

A lesson on AIDS would be interesting. kyle, Henning, thanks for your translations of those chat expressions

China has recently been contributing a lot of humanitarian aid to Africa. A lesson on humanitarianism, with a focus on AIDS or other crises in Africa might make a good lesson or two. Perhaps there could be an Advanced story line that follows a member of the Peace Corp to Africa? I see that touching a lot of good topics.

I think just the development of how AIDS has been handled and is handled in China would already provide a lot of good material. I mean, it is fairly recent that the government admits that AIDS is a problem here, and still many simply blame it on the gay community...

Aid given to African and other states in itself would also make a nice lesson. Just thinking that Aid is hardly ever given without ulterior motives - and the Chinese government is very aware of that. Or why else would they keep such close taps on INGOs and NGOs in their own country?

As an addition to AIDS as a topic: There is a Chinese version of http://www.theglobalfund.org/cn/. The Global Fund is backing the (Product) RED initiative. Wasn't Chinesepod participating in (Product) RED last year??

Wow, for about 30 seconds there I was panicing. "Why is trevelyan mad at me? What'd I say?" Then it hit me... I'm just an idiot. Thanks. Maybe that'd be "看那本手册, 白痴!" ?