Oh Zhang Liang, Zhang Liang, wherefore art thou, Zhang Liang!

Hmmm... if you're really lucky, maybe you'll hear from again. Soon.

I recently read that the Parallel Universe theory is gaining more and more followers in the physics community (in a popular news magazine, so it is probably somewhere in between slightly exaggeragted and plain wrong). According to that every possible alternative exists. In some distant alternative reality I am still asleep... ;)

Actually the story cannot be completely over yet. We are still in the complete dark regarding the motives of Chenjing. I also think that Lili has been dramatically overreacting (the quit over that? - not realistic for an adult person), so I think we are still missing some background info on how she has been steadily prepared by Chenjing. But of course I am not angry if you replace the Love Story Line by a SciFi one :)

Would someone please explain this to the new girl in class so she can participate in the fun :-)

lunetta, http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/the-jealous-friend http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/the-come-on http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/confiding-in-a-conniving-friend http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/scheming-girls http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/uncomfortable-encounter-in-a-bar/discussion http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/its-over http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/a-dad-gives-advice-to-a-broken-hearted-son http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/lovers-spat http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/the-breakup http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/seeking-comfort http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/a-guys-advice-on-women http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/an-old-flame http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/the-other-woman http://chinesepod.com/learnchinese/growing-affections (not necessarily in chronological order; all intermediate level). Sometimes it seems like half the intermediate-level lessons are about the Zhang Liang and Lili saga

Thanks for the explanation! The intermediate level is of course still way too difficult for me to understand anything but a single word once in a while but it's nice to know what I'm aiming for. Hopefully I'll get there some day :-)

There was also one Elementary lesson that also fits into the storyline. Did nobody notice? It was in chronological order, too...

Lunetta I hope you listen to these lessons anyway. Repeatedly, like I do. You will pick up bits and pieces each time, a word here and there, a tone here and there. Immersing your brain in the music of the language will do more than you think. It's like listening to a symphony over and over and over again. It gets into your soul and you will one day realize, oh, that was a piccolo, and that a violin solo, and that a french horn...etc. Now, boys, I don't think we should REPLACE with a scifi storyline, but ADD a scifi storyline. Even though "Chinese version" may mean a tragic ending a la Zhang Yimou (famous director) there are happy endings in real life...sometimes...so let's have a happy ending : ) Or, at least happy for Zhang Liang, a quileless, sweet soul.

Yes, I'll try to do that. I've been listening to Qing Wen the last couple of days and have enjoyed those lessons immensely even though I didn't understand much of the chinese. Except the last one, I picked up what 放屁 means pretty quickly :-)

DAD - didn't you know that the recent "wei shenme" podcast was actually Zhang Liang in seven years. He is happily married, has a fun kid, and hardly thinks about Lili who has divorced from wunder-kid, moved back to Shanghai, and has opened up a flower shop, and is happy to be an independent woman. 你不知道吗？刚刚播的中文播客就是张亮。他结婚了，七年过了，他有那个可爱的问问为什么的儿子。张亮的生活好快乐，他还想以前丽丽和他的故事。丽丽，她已经离婚了，离开了那个网路王，而且回来上海，然后开了新小卖花小店。 她过的不太好，有多后因为她没没有选好那个好前男友，张亮！ Hey, in the Chinese version of my comment above, Lili has regrets and Zhang Liang is still pining away! Cause it's "the Chinese" version. haha.

John, I guess we hear Zhangliang and Lili in "It's Nothing". But it is actually hard to tell with those short dialogues. It could even be "Pregnancy". That would be quite a twist... AZERDocMom, add a scifi storyline - brilliant idea!

or turn it into a crimestory ;-)

henning, Yes, you're right. It's "It's Nothing." It makes a lot of sense if you notice which story episodes it comes between.

Ah, you're right John. Between "A Guy's Advice on Women" #390 and "Scheming Girls" #414. So what, was this intentionally done and given to Ken and Jenny to do, but without reference to the Zhang Liang story? Hmmm....

I listened to this last night and it started me wondering, hmmm, why was Zhang Liang so sullen? Who was this 朋友 he was talking to? Was it Fei, that flirty coworker? Was it Chenghu, his buddy? Who was it? And, why did he sound so depressed? What's he hiding from Lili? Did this plant in her a tiny seed of distrust that lead to the blow-up and break-up later? Awww, come on, now...Jenny, John...you've got to tell us!

Chronologically, it was after he talked to his friend, Zhenhua. If you look at the dates, it fits right in.

Oh, and so you finally have the answer to your question: Zhang Liang was in an alternative universe telling off Lili!

the "bad" words stick easy and faster than anything else...;-)