User Comments - johns
johns
Posted on: I Can/Can't Afford it (...得起 & ...不起）
June 11, 2008 at 2:13 AMGreat lesson. I wonder where in Texas Clay is from.
Posted on: I Can/Can't Afford it (...得起 & ...不起）
June 11, 2008 at 12:07 AMI always enjoy reading your posts, Changye. Now I will also have to add these books to my list.
Posted on: I Can/Can't Afford it (...得起 & ...不起）
June 10, 2008 at 12:16 PMConnie,
I agree with light. It would be good to practice these phrases in the normal pdf format.
Posted on: Hiking
June 10, 2008 at 4:02 AMPerle,
There are two books you might enjoy:
"Teach Yourself Beginner's Chinese Script" by Scurfield and Lianyl
and, the best one,
Tuttle's Learning Chinese Characters by Mathews and Mathews.
The second is my constant reference book. I purchased both at Barnes and Nobel.
Posted on: SBTG: Sun Yatsen
June 10, 2008 at 1:35 AMYou asked for some ideas regarding what we would like to hear, John. I hope you take us to Hong Kong shopping, The Summer Palace, The Great Wall or to a typical family gathering at someone's home. Please show me a little more what it is like to be Chinese. My experience in China indicated that our Western lifestyle in suburbia is different in many ways.
Posted on: Hiking
June 10, 2008 at 12:43 AMI love your lessons. Personally, I am a "heritage speaker" of English from Texas and I still haven't perfected it. Like the lady said, "there are no perfect bi-linguals." So, instead of trying to prove the rule wrong "in the name of professionalism and linguistic accuracy" please keep entertaining and educating us with your great sense of humor, creative lessons and entertaining insites.
We have textbooks and dictionaries. What we need is to hear the voice of a teacher we can identify with. Later, after we get the basics down we can make the decision to seek the "humble" advice of literary nit pickers like Ms. Mircea Moldovan. That is, if we aren't too busy having fun using our new found skills!
I don't know where Ms. Mircea Moldovan was when I was looking for help to learn this great language but you and Mr. Carol were there talking and singing to me in English and Chinese until I wanted to learn it.
Keep up the good work!
Posted on: Hiking
June 9, 2008 at 7:25 PMI am normally walking, hiking or getting some sort of exercize in while I listen to these lessons. I love the sports, eating and traveling ones.
Posted on: Hiking
June 9, 2008 at 3:48 AMEnjoyed this less and the point about bu dong.
Posted on: Chinatomy: Chinese Gods and 'Shanghai Diaries'
June 9, 2008 at 3:24 AMI assume that we send the answer to the riddle to dearamber@praxislanguage.com. Good lesson
Posted on: Sightseeing at Tiananmen
June 11, 2008 at 3:09 AMSo, I am not the only one who bought books & kites. Also, hats, scarfs.....the little kid selling this stuff was really cute! I enjoyed the long walks, the sense of history, the guards who could still smile and look serious at the same time. I am a foreignor and taller than most but it was interesting to have a group of people come up and touch my hair and arm. One has to visit this place at least once if you are in Beijing.
I never thought to consider what the name meant until Ken broke it down here. Still not sure I could have understood it on my own.
This is a great topic. You said that you would do this. Thanks, Jenny