User Comments - Kyle
Kyle
Posted on: Election Candidates
September 6, 2007 at 3:20 PMPerhaps I was wrong to say "most". Perhaps I'd still be wrong if I said "many". However, I can certainly say that I've yet to find in my experience with numerous university and adult classes one student who has shared any knowledge whatsoever of the American electoral (if that's what it can be called) system. I agree with wildyaks in that this topic of conversation seems to be avoided at all costs, and whenever the topic does come up it's usually very simply put that the common people don't have to worry about this aspect of life. I also agree with Ron's comment that there may have in fact been some students in my classes educated on American politics and just not felt the need to speak up at the time.
Posted on: Too Much to Drink
September 6, 2007 at 6:46 AMI haven't heard it used with the 开 before, but, yeah, 滚 is quite popular up here.
Posted on: Too Much to Drink
September 5, 2007 at 5:43 AMIt's quite common up here for people to address females in the service industry as 小姐, excluding waiters / waitresses who are called 服务员. Though I've also heard 小姐 used to describe prostitutes.
Posted on: Too Much to Drink
September 5, 2007 at 5:14 AM*What about down south.... Wish there was an edit feature. =)
Posted on: Too Much to Drink
September 5, 2007 at 5:13 AMI've never heard one Chinese compliment another's scent. Mostly, I guess, cause their not particular to cologne/perfume. Well, at least not up here in Harbin where it's -40 practically year-round. If they were to compliment each other, though, maybe it would be something along the lines of 你的味很香. What down south where it's +50 year-round? Got lots of smelly water users down in Shanghai?
Posted on: Election Candidates
September 2, 2007 at 4:32 AMThe only problem: most Chinese don't know what Democracy is. Whenever I've explained the concept of voting for who runs your country to my students I"m almost always met with blank deer-in-the-headlight stares. Next time I'll try explaining it in Mandarin.
Posted on: Number Two
August 29, 2007 at 6:29 AMThe first time I heard that was in the classroom. One of my students said they had to go to the bathroom. I told them they had to wait until break. They responded by (what I thought I heard them sasying) telling they urgently had to go to see their father. I told them it could wait. They then rephrased it as "da4bian4". One of the other students then corrected me, saying it wasn't ba4ba, but ba3ba. We got a good laugh out of that.
Posted on: Number Two
August 29, 2007 at 5:25 AMThere's also a word for "poop" which sounds just like father, but I don't know the correct tones or characters. My kids say it all the time. Sounds like, "la1 ba1ba5". Any ideas?
Posted on: Chinese Celebrity: Bruce Lee
August 29, 2007 at 5:17 AM@ user32498 You can change your name in your user profile. From the home page look to the right of the screen--you should have an option there. @ the CPod Team How about a lesson on current Chinese Pop Culture? Current stars, singers, actors, etc. Knowing the Chinese equivalents of names like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, etc. would be great for those discussions about "who's made in big in the West" that taxi drivers often seem to pull me (and others I'm sure) into.
Posted on: Time to Go
September 6, 2007 at 3:51 PM不 is generally used to express the negative in the immediate present. 没 or 没有 is used to express the negative in the past. For example: I'm not eating lunch. 我不吃饭. I haven't eaten lunch. 我没吃饭. She's not going to Beijing. 她不去北京. She hasn't gone to Beijing. 她没去过北京.