User Comments - chaijin
chaijin
Posted on: Spending Money in Hong Kong
February 14, 2012, 11:20 AMdon't screw all of them and get yourselves workout like that hanlinting ... Peace of mind in yourselves first and look at the issues calmly. There are always good and bad in all people. There are situation to deal with and sometimes it could be bad e.g. how to deal with those without Shanghai residence status but live here for a long time ... Should we argue how bad Shanghai is ... should we argue that HK with only 20 sq. miles roughly to take the whole Chinese ... cannot accommodate even the richest 1%.
Good day!
Posted on: Hospitality Series 3: Slippers, Toothbrush and Toothpaste
October 20, 2011, 01:30 PMI found many Mainland hotel does not have conditioner, until they are 5s.
Posted on: Chinese Kung Fu
October 10, 2011, 12:48 AMJackie Chan is nothing to do with martial arts. He was trained as Beijing Opera performer. He is a good performer in movie even for martial arts but he is an actor. He probably can beat you and I very easily but he is not one of the martial artists.
Ji Li is a good martial artist and he really knew that (but for competition as an athelete) .
Bruce Lee is very different. He is really in the more traditional martial artists (like Judo, Karate, etc.) His breakthrough is get this repectful like the other martial artists. Groupd Lee with Li makes some sense but please not Jackie Chan.
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Even as Hongkonger the term Kung Fu was not much in common use in Cantonese in 1960s. You know that it is not putonghua as the speliing is different. It is pure Cantonese. (It was more assocaited when I am young before Bruce Lee time with a kind of tea ceremony.) But it was emphasised in the Way of Dragon to seperate this from other more respected (at that time) martial arts like Karate. It even got a song later.
Unlike today, China is not that a strong country that one associated with. Having a Chinese husband like Bruce Lee is not really expected. It is very different from now where you have no issue if you say you learn Putonghua, not in 1960-70s. Kung Fu is one of the unusual thing that Bruce Lee demonstrated that Chinese cultuare have something, among many many things, that the country can say to the world.
Have time, go back to look at the Way of Dragon when the big boss asked what this guy practiced.
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BTW, Bruce Lee is NOT from Seattle. He was born in America but mainly is a guy from Hong Kong (and Jackie Chan is not from Canton but also borned and mainly is a guy from Hong Kong).
Posted on: 《水调歌头·明月几时有》
September 01, 2011, 04:54 AMActually I was told when learning this beautiful poem get him into trouble and basically (once again?) push down south, especially these two phrases:
yòu kǒng qióng lóu yù yǔ (Again fearing the jade palace) 又恐琼楼玉宇 gāo chù bù shèng hán 高处不胜寒 (Cannot bear this cold, high place)
Posted on: Can I Have your Phone Number? Please?
August 03, 2011, 01:17 PM"Tiger Mom" was mentioned. I think it should have a few lessons on this topic I guess.
Posted on: 武松打虎
July 31, 2011, 03:41 AMI was a bit upset of this podcast. I liked the 孙悟空三打白骨精 very much. For this, however, it is a bit like to have 孙悟空三打白骨精 becomes the Monkey God kill 3 human and kicked out from the group, thanks.
The whole story a guy drinking some wine.
Out of the whole novel, the most famous part is how the tiger comes out and nearly kill him. It is indeed not long and may I cut those juicy (but not that juicy) bits here:
武松走了一直，酒力发作，… 见一块光挞挞大青石，把那哨棒倚在一边，放翻身体，却待要睡，只见发起一阵狂风。那一阵风过了，只听得乱树背后扑地一声响，跳出一只吊睛白额大虫来。… 。武松被那一惊，酒都作冷汗出了。
说时迟，那时快；武松见大虫扑来，只一闪，闪在大虫背后。... 武松见那大虫复翻身回来，双手轮起哨棒，尽平生气力，只一棒，从半空劈将下来。
只听得一声响，簌簌地，将那树连枝带叶劈脸打将下来。定睛看时，一棒劈不着大虫，原来打急了，正打在枯树上，把那条哨棒折做两截，只拿得一半在手里。那大虫咆哮，性发起来，翻身又只一扑扑将来。…
武松把左手紧紧地揪住顶花皮，偷出右手来，提起铁锤般大小拳头，尽平生之力只顾打。打到五七十拳，那大虫…动弹不得，… 就血泊里双手来提时，那里提得动。原来使尽了气力，手脚都苏软了。
There were many years but I still remember when we stuided this part, the eye of the tiger looking at you and all the sweat coming out from the back.
Similar to the part the kids would cry when 孙悟空 was saying goodbye to siufu.
Posted on: 武松打虎
July 31, 2011, 03:41 AMI was a bit upset of this podcast. I liked the 孙悟空三打白骨精 very much. For this, however, it is a bit like to have 孙悟空三打白骨精 becomes the Monkey God kill 3 human and kicked out from the group, thanks.
The whole story a guy drinking some wine.
Out of the whole novel, the most famous part is how the tiger comes out and nearly kill him. It is indeed not long and may I cut those juicy (but not that juicy) bits here:
武松走了一直，酒力发作，… 见一块光挞挞大青石，把那哨棒倚在一边，放翻身体，却待要睡，只见发起一阵狂风。那一阵风过了，只听得乱树背后扑地一声响，跳出一只吊睛白额大虫来。… 。武松被那一惊，酒都作冷汗出了。
说时迟，那时快；武松见大虫扑来，只一闪，闪在大虫背后。... 武松见那大虫复翻身回来，双手轮起哨棒，尽平生气力，只一棒，从半空劈将下来。
只听得一声响，簌簌地，将那树连枝带叶劈脸打将下来。定睛看时，一棒劈不着大虫，原来打急了，正打在枯树上，把那条哨棒折做两截，只拿得一半在手里。那大虫咆哮，性发起来，翻身又只一扑扑将来。…
武松把左手紧紧地揪住顶花皮，偷出右手来，提起铁锤般大小拳头，尽平生之力只顾打。打到五七十拳，那大虫…动弹不得，… 就血泊里双手来提时，那里提得动。原来使尽了气力，手脚都苏软了。
There were many years but I still remember when we stuided this part, the eye of the tiger looking at you and all the sweat coming out from the back.
Similar to the part the kids would cry when 孙悟空 was saying goodbye to siufu.
Posted on: Spending Money in Hong Kong
February 14, 2012, 12:18 PMWell as one of the HKer my 普通话 is no good and hence I am here to learn. But a lot of shopkeeper in HK knew 普通话 and that should be ok in general. Nearly all announcement these days are in Cantonese, 普通话 and English even in the lift. The Police (very polite not the same as the one in Mainland) is very approachable.
I guess in general try younger person to people who dress properly (not necessary suite but you know an office lady and man easily). English would be ok.
Being oldie I never have any chance to learn 普通话 but young one are mandate to learn it now. But as danav said that may get to conv. level. I guess learning 10-20 years a langauge in school (English or 普通话) does not mean you can conduct a conv. All is mainly for exam (including oral exam :-)) I am afraid. But in general you should be ok with young one (high secondary and office type).
There are more westerner here as well, btw. That is why I knew my wife.
BTW, whatever anyone say about the language Cantonese, it is still the language here as mother tongue, as TV language, as political/social/civil serveant/everyday live living language. Unlike Manchu language which reduce to only 1000 knowing (and in fact last 400 years of offical writing would be lost), calling Cantonese using by 70m people is a bit of issue as it is on the low bound of French native speakers. But once you compare with a country of 1.2billion and even if you are are the most widely used dialect is nothing. In fact, a lot of Mainlander especially the 100m in Guangdong province grow by listening to Cantonese movie. I even have experience of talking to a native Shanghai guy whose only common culture knowledge with me is a Cantonese song about 1997 by a Taiwan guy called "Queen's Road east". Hence, the recent downgrade of Cantonese to its, well, proper position as a dialect is very recent.