User Comments - jbowes

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jbowes

Posted on: Where's the soap?
January 7, 2011 at 4:57 AM

Its hard work but its also so rewarding...no matter where you end up (age/public/private) you will get an awsome experience. There are always horror stories, but only because they make good stories. Im on year three and still learning and loving it! Only found cpod last spring-ish though.....bah! SO much lost time before that I could have been podding away.

Posted on: Where's the soap?
January 7, 2011 at 3:17 AM

I just recently figured out the song my school plays when the kids are washing up after lunch "hands, wash hands..." :)

Posted on: Chinese Fruits
January 7, 2011 at 12:25 AM

Ni kan dao na liang che ma?

Ni kan qilai na liang che ma

I should have added these examples...

Posted on: Chinese Fruits
January 7, 2011 at 12:23 AM

What is the grammatical difference (or is one more common/easier to use) between:

Kan(4) qi(3)lai

and

Kan(4) dao(4)le

Im a little confused....and fully aware that I might be asking a totally newbie question. However, it stands!

Ps - Any China cpod listeners want to comment on the frequency of people dropping the "sh" and "zh" sound in liu of "s" and "z"? As in "Shenme" becoming "senme"...

Posted on: Chinese Fruits
January 6, 2011 at 3:26 AM

"no seeds" ...budui!!

Some have seeds....if the plant had no seed bearing fruit we'd be eating the population down to zero (unless it goes the way of the seedless banana...)!

Some wax apples do have seeds...brown furry seeds...they look like rabbit turds. Which I thought it was the first time I came across one! I have since found many, but you are right that most are seedless.

Posted on: Chinese Fruits
January 6, 2011 at 3:23 AM

how do you change the speed of the dialogue?!?!?

Posted on: Chinese Fruits
January 6, 2011 at 1:26 AM

Perhaps the problem is that you are searching with Bing instead of a functioning search engine!!

:)

Sorry....had to opine!

Fruits and veggies are so plentiful and diverse here in Taiwan, I usually ask a place "what green veggies do you have?". After they go through all the ones they have, I simply pick one I have never heard of before and try it out. Fruit stands are easier to pick and choose, of course. I love the feeling when you notice that a fruit season is changing...whats next, whats next! Pine for the lack of X but be excited for the plethora of Y.

Posted on: Are You Busy?
January 4, 2011 at 5:43 AM

Students taking responsibility in cleaning, chores, etc is excellent in Taiwan. However, the plant issue....no winter dude! Try to create a garden of Taiwanese nature when you have 3-5 months of snow. Waaaaaay too much money. Basics on school grounds only, save the money for the classroom.

However, I do notice a huge disparity between the ability to thing creatively/independently between here and Canada. Kids not only are not employing these skills, but when given a chance to think for themselvs and not follow rote patterns they falter. I think that we can all share a lot between cultures - I want kids in Canada to take more pride in their school grounds and I want kids in Taiwan to think more critically and problem solve on their own.

Thoughts?

Posted on: Playing Ice Hockey
January 4, 2011 at 12:46 AM

Red wings are huge in Canada...Canadians are not totally patriotic in their team of choice!! That said, go leafs go!

I think the more sports we get involced in (in terms of language) the better. Each year I explain to my new students that in Canada I paly hockey and I take some time to try to explain to them what the game is. Its a cultural exchange for them, to learn about us. So, in that regard, a hockey lesson is totally worthwhile.