User Comments - bodawei

Posted on: Chinese Mythological Creatures

sweet - I'm relieved that dwfndley isn't teaching English in China... :)

actually, we need more of whatever it is that he is talking about, and there's no better place to look for it than in China.

Posted on: Gao Kao

I was interested in a couple of comments - one about the gaokao offering a way out for the poor and relatively disadvantaged. I surveyed my 120 students at the end of last year and fewer than 10% come from the capital city in which I teach. About 50% came from the 'country' (and the rest from other provinces and overseas). Now, not all country kids are disadvantaged but quite a few do have a poor situation at home. My province is the second poorest province in China using the standard poverty line measures used in this country. This is not something that is easily surveyed but in one on one interviews I do get a sense of the family situation. It surprises me that such a large number of kids from a poor background get entry into the #1 ranked university in the province. Also, I had a disproportionate number of minority students, that is a higher proportion than the general population. I am surprised by these outcomes because the society is much more hierarchical than my own and in many ways the elite capture priveleges unavailable to the ordinary person. University entry may be an exception. 

Also, the main reason I did this survey was to measure mobility, and the results are surprising - ie. half of my students coming from outside the province. This measures in part the importance on university rankings - students will relocate to get into a higher ranked university. And again this emphasises the focus on gaokao - this is the ticket for getting into a higher ranked university. 

Posted on: Gao Kao

http://chinesepod.com/community/conversations/post/11861

I just posted this the other day as backround to today's BST.  :) 

Posted on: I don't smoke

Hi xiaophil

Thanks for your story about smoking in the lift - I will be careful about enforcing any views i have about smoking. I have one experience where we were in a Buddhist restaurant (no smoking no drinking) and our important guest was smoking. A young fuwuyuan came along and actually took the cigarette out of his hand! But those Buddhists can be hard core.

On the subject of smoking has anyone seen any evidence of the 1 May no smoking in restaurants being enforced?

Yes I love that word 暴发户 (wish I understood it!) And no I haven't heard it that I recall. I wonder how it can be used? Some foreign visitors recently got terribly excited about some Audis they saw around & I tried to tell them that they are as common as muck. An Australian would say they're 'like Holdens around here'. But it makes me wonder - what is the threshold for defining a 暴发户?

Posted on: I don't smoke

I think age is a factor. I don't doubt your story but a lot of Chinese men I meet, about my age, let's say in the 40 - 70 age range, :), have had a talk from their doctor about smoking and drinking. Then the doctor probably sneaks out to the street for a smoke.

But my point is that I don't think I have ever offended anyone by saying no to either cigarettes or alcohol, if I mention either general health or allergies (I keep a supply of excuses.)

Posted on: Ordering Fancy Coffee

'Coffee is way too expensive in China'

Well, in Shanghai yes, apparently, although I never paid the prices quoted in this lesson. You can get a good large cup/mug of Italian style latte or cappuccino for 11 rmb ($1.50) - about 25% - 30% the price of a similar product in Sydney Australia. Given that the coffee and the machine are imported I would not describe this as 'way too expensive'. Another way to see this is as the coffee culture spreads here the prices come down, relatively speaking. But they were always cheaper than the West.

Posted on: Ordering Fancy Coffee

最近一间咖啡商店开了，我很高兴，这家咖啡馆精彩极了！咖啡品来自巴西，咖啡机很大，很光泽的。 马上我说给我来一杯卡布其诺号码？啊。。不太热。。克雷吗正好。。还好色彩。老板有好的，我跟他被咖啡聊天了。一大杯卡布其诺是11人民币（US1.50），没有小的。

Posted on: Take Some Medicine

tucsonmichael

I think the explanation here is linguistic, not cultural.

A dentist is 牙科医生, 医生 for short.

You would see a dentist - here you can choose either a stand-alone dentist surgery or a hospital.

Posted on: Detective Li 2： The Mysterious Text Message

We've got a winner, skyover...

It's all over, Red Rover.

Posted on: Detective Li 2： The Mysterious Text Message

Hey RJ

Fenech*, not French, but you are learning no question!

See my post on a newspaper article about Australian-American cross culture communication a couple of minutes ago?

*Fenech is a famous name in Australian sport not only because of Jeff. There is also Mario, a Rugby League player, more my cup of tea than boxing. Mario is nick-named The Maltese Falcon, because on a number of occasions the ball hit him on the head. Does that need explanation I wonder? Mario (and Jeff) are Maltese... And, when the ball hits you on the head in Rugby League it's called a falcon, and everyone laughs of course.