User Comments - chanelle77
chanelle77
Posted on: The North Has Central Heating
December 7, 2009 at 9:06 AMDear Changye, nope that is absolutely fine *wink wink*. The third floor we only use for guests. The rent in rmb is 1.7万 built 4 years ago.
As you probably know houses are not built very efficient, so much space is a waste of time and (can) not used. You would expect some quality for this amount of money but I better keep my big mouth shut on that. The last worker just left my house this morning leaving me baffled over his painting skills :-).I decided to stop caring and just put my big cabinet in front of the ugly painting....otherwise I have to be in that for another THREE months.
Anyway to get back to the topic: I also invested in a big Ikea curtain to keep the heat in the living room: don't want the cats to be cold. Last year they complaint about the temperature in their living room.
Btw withing 2 weeks I already have my second ceramic heater: the first one broke down. We will see how long this one lasts haha! Small victory: I can call the service line by myself to change the gas bottles and give me refill (in Mandarin that is!).
Posted on: The North Has Central Heating
December 7, 2009 at 7:42 AMOur bill was a few thousand (if I remember correctly 6000) a year for a 200+m2 house. Now I stopped using the AC in the living and switched to gas (100 RMB a bottle lasts a week) bc heat from the AC is very inefficient. I wish that picasa worked so I could show the pic of the ceramic heater (m.i.C.) with my 2 cats in front! Unfortunately Picasa is still blocked.
Utilities here seem equally expensive compared to Europe for me....
Posted on: 次，遍，趟: Measuring Times
December 6, 2009 at 11:56 PMHow do you say "drama queen" in Chinese? *wink wink* :-)
The reason why I love Cpod is that it teaches me day to day REAL Chinese. Yesterday I was in the train back to NJ. I was studying the bachelor party lesson. My husband looked at my screen, saw the lesson pic and asked me "WHAT are you studying?!" Then I showed him the words for "porn", "striptease"and "bikini" which he of course had to say in public and we had a great laugh about this :-P. As a consequense, these word stick in my mind and not easily forget them!
Please don't change into a "blcup textbook" class!
Posted on: A Chinese Bachelor Party
December 2, 2009 at 10:05 AMWhat a fun lesson: I would like to take this opportunity to request a lesson on "xiaojie" or shady massage business :-). I had a difficult time explaining "red light district" to my driver (don't ask me why :-P). Maybe a suggestion for the cities series? (hint hint: Amsterdam)
Posted on: Hot Pot Chitchat
December 1, 2009 at 12:06 PMThis was another excellent lesson by the J&J combo. Really like these lessons and is perfect mix of language & culture.
Posted on: Jason and Sarah
November 30, 2009 at 4:47 AMLucky you *wink wink*
Posted on: Jason and Sarah
November 30, 2009 at 4:16 AM@Jason the "Sch" is "so Dutch" any Dutch ancestry?
Posted on: Picking Up a Friend at the Airport
November 2, 2009 at 12:57 PMThe exercises of this lesson do not load (for me). Only get a blank area in that exercise tab.Anyohne else experiencing this? Rest seems fine.
Lesson was excellent: i like the John & Jenny (elly) combo.
Posted on: Varieties of Candy
November 1, 2009 at 12:32 AMThis was a lovely lesson!
Once I gave my ayi "Drop" because we Dutch are big on this liquorice or 甘草糖 as well. She also thought it tasted like medicine and was very surprised that we love it so much :-)
I don't know if anyone has noticed this, but compare the 曼陀珠 flavours (Mentos, originally made by van Melle, is a Dutch company) when you travel, they vary per country! I discovered that Japan, China, Belgium and the Netherlands all seem to have their "own" special flavour (s). The one with strawberry, orange and lemon is the universal taste. Recently China added "fresh cola"! In Japan I had some strange plum flavour. (The main reason I wan't to go back to Japan is for it's fascinating candy :-P)
Posted on: The North Has Central Heating
December 7, 2009 at 9:52 AMMy house is not average, but is small compared to other houses I looked at. When I arrived here on pre visit this was the best considering: price, quality, interior, garden, space and distance to work / facilities. Back in Europe we had half the size of this (exactly the average you mention about Holland). I wish I could find a smaller house with smarter spacing, but to be honest have not seen a better option here. It is just not the same.On average I do found the housing much bigger than I expected and that goes for "average" chinese housing as well...
I have seen the appartement where my ayi lives and that gives a good impression of average housing / heating. On my compound live many Chinese families and it is interesting to see how they (not) heat their houses. I see them in the winter sitting inside wearing winter coats and leaving the door open!!!! I guess they rarely use the heaters. Similar with the workers, when it was really cold last week they leave the door open any time they go in or out....