User Comments - calkins

Posted on: Understanding 了解 (Liǎojiě) and 理解 (Lǐjiě)

Hey classy, put the little turtle back in the shell.

Posted on: Chinese Hospitality and Finding Vegetarian Food

Dear Amber,

I'm truly dissapointed.  I move all the way to Taiwan to finally have an opportunity to stalk you from a more reasonable distance, then you decide to move back to Canada or the States ;)

In all seriousness, you are an intelligent and gifted woman, with a happy personality and a beautiful smile...you will do great in whatever place is lucky enough to have you.

We will miss hearing your voice, and your laugh, and all the wonderful things you bring to the airwaves on ChinesePod.  No matter what new program comes along, it can never be the same without you (just as QW was never quite the same without Clay).  We will really miss you!

Best of luck in all that you do.
Brent

Posted on: The Person Component

Ha ha, classy canalbar.  Maybe cpod can produce some Chinese porn...that might burn some vocab. into our brains.

Posted on: Chinese Hospitality and Finding Vegetarian Food

Totally sucks.  And it would suck even more if this is how we are told about Amber leaving.

I would think that with the secrecy surrounding Clay's departure, Cpod would have learned a lesson and be open and honest ASAP, to be done with it and not allow rumors to swirl.

Maybe it's not true that Amber has left, but all signs definitely point in that direction.  Very sad.

Posted on: The Person Component

Frank, just wanted to say great show.  Simple yet very effective.  I hope someone picks up your project.  Keep us posted if it does.

Posted on: Chinese Hospitality and Finding Vegetarian Food

Hey Aric, that's pretty interesting stuff.

Posted on: Chinese Hospitality and Finding Vegetarian Food

Ken, is that confirmation that DA has come to an end?  And what about our beloved Amber?  I guess we could do without DA, but CPod without Amber is like China without good food (sorry for the lame analogy).

I guess I wouldn't be surprised if Amber had to leave...no place can contain her star quality!  She's more than welcomed to come back to Taipei...I wouldn't mind;)

Posted on: Paying a Bill

lujiaojie, that is really helpful...I didn't know that 在 + place couldn't be a subject.  Thanks.

Now I am a little more confused with this sentence:

这里能付帐单吗？

...because I'm assuming that 我 is the "understood" subject...

(我)这里能付帐单吗？
Can I pay bills here?

I'm also assuming (probably incorrectly) that here is an adverb describing where to pay.

I'm probably trying to compare Chinese grammar with English grammar, which is not the best thing to do, but any additional insight would be appreciated.

Posted on: Paying a Bill

lujiaojie, thanks for the quick response!

啊喲, I always forget to include 在.

Could you please explain why there's no 在 in the first sentence of the dialogue?  Thanks.

这里能付帐单吗？

Posted on: Paying a Bill

Is the measure word for 帐单 zhàngdān (bill) 张 zhāng?  I assume so, since it's a flat sheet.  If so, would the following sentence be correct:

我能这里付这张帐单吗？
wǒ néng zhèlǐ fù zhèi zhāng zhàngdān ma?
Can I pay this bill here?

Thanks.