User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Student or Teacher?

The most common term is probably 老公 laogong. 丈夫 zhangfu is also common and more formal. 爱人 airen is also widely used. I seem to remember John Pasden giving us a list at one stage of about 20 (?) expressions for husband. Some may be regional, but the three above would have widespread use.

Posted on: 穿越

Incidentally the background on the site has turned to black, for me, despite re-booting a couple of times. I assume this is a personal problem - no-one else has complained. All the links are blacked out, like your deliberations on the Detective mysteries. :)

Maybe I'll try it on another laptop - it is like my settings have been changed.

Posted on: 穿越

I'm having the same problem - neither the lesson or the lesson review will download on iTunes. Can't get it to work directly on the site either. 麻烦了！

Posted on: Essential Math Terms

'do Roos actually make good pets?'

I imagine they would be as 'good' as tigers and mountain lions are as pets. Not mainstream. You couldn't really take them for a walk - I guess you could drive along beside them.

Posted on: Essential Math Terms

'its a delicacy'

I'm not sure that I've ever eaten it, just sounds wrong. Eating Skippy! What's that Skip? You object on principle?

I'm surprised that you don't have roo meat over there though. Are you sure? We might be selling it to you as 'lean beef'.

Posted on: Shopping for the Husband

well spotted. :)

Posted on: Shopping for the Husband

'Best keep mouth shut and head down'

That was advice to Australians in general, not to you. i have just realised that you may have interpreted it as advice to your good self. That was not my meaning, sorry about that!

Posted on: Shopping for the Husband

On the sbustance of your post, I agree that China's education system tends to be elitist - it's a common and workable strategy for the poorest countries in the world. It doesn't satisfy Australian 'standards' of equal access but China doesn't rate those values as highly as we do. It's a good fit with their world view at present. Neverthless (you saw this coming) access has improved remarkably (compared to pre-49) particularly for the minorities and the less well off. I can give you some remarkable real data enrolments at a Tier 1 university against home town origin (proxy for degree of wealth and privilege.) I collected the data myself so it is quite safe.

Posted on: Shopping for the Husband

'chief strategist for Deng Xiaoping '

Ouch. Someone once suggested that I should go for a job at the Tourism Liaison Office in the city where I lived, but this is certainly a barb of a different colour.

I believe that the best strategist job is one where you are not really needed (your boss does not need much help), so your suggestion has merit.

It has been a most satisfying debate, for me. Hope to see you around for another stoush. :)

Posted on: Shopping for the Husband

Maybe it is the west that is out of step with trends in governance, education and jurisprudence. Just taking 'education' for instance. Australia lags China badly in K-12 education indicators - I don't have any confidence at all that we have a secret remedy to cure all of China's education woes. Best keep mouth shut and head down.

It's a good example, actually. Foreigners are instant experts in China on all that is wrong with the Chinese education system, but most of the arguments that I hear in this area are unconvincing. Despite the fact the majority of foreigners are actually working in that sector, most of them know very little about the Chinese education system. A majority of the majority are in and out in just a year or two, still none the wiser.

‘we may be best off agreeing to differ!’

Specially as this lesson is about shopping, I think. :)