User Comments - laogui32
laogui32
Posted on: Sorry and Thank You
December 2, 2012 at 10:47 PMthis light-weight episode deserved every bit of criticism it attracted.
老鬼
Posted on: You talking about me?
November 30, 2012 at 4:03 AMi usually hear '才说曹操，曹操就到‘ and it appears in my book 'Easy way to learn Chinese Proverbs' with a story about Cao Cao and Lv Bu set in Puyang city Shandong ...
Posted on: The Tea Scam
November 16, 2012 at 3:49 PMIn my case a coffee-scam. At a loose end on Tian'anmen 17:30 I had a sudden urge for a coffee. Lo and behold a 'Hullo, do you speak english? I am a student teacher from Ha'erbin Heilongjiang, I want to speak some English with you ...' and she chatted on in modest English - then 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' And in fact I did want one, so yes, ok. and we walked off out of Tian'anmen ... another young woman appeared out of nowhere and joined us. (This is a long story) We walked to a tiny place about 5 minues walk, and they went into a tiny claustrophobic room so I said no - outside. So we walked to another place down the street, and they spoke to 3 guys playing backgammon, who scooted and gave us their table on the street. 40rmb per tea or coffee I saw. mmmm. Then the second woman said in Chinese (we'd stopped speaking English already) it's too cold, let's go inside! I said from Ha'erbin too cold??? She insisted and I didn't want to be rude (I know, silly me). Inside in another small room someone closed the door - I opened the door, someone closed the door. She then said 'oh the coffee is too bitter get some tea!' I opened the door again - she asked for some fruit and dried plums. We chatted for 10 minutes in Chinese. The second woman then went out for 3 minutes, and the door closed. She reappeared with a bill, and said 'they accept Visa' the three guys were standing outside the door. RMB680 - $110 for a cup of coffee and a piece of watermelon. I tossed up what to do. and paid. They wanted Karaoke. No... I came back next day to photograph the places, and obtained a copy of the bill, and later rang Visa to cancel but couldn't.
Two days later, underground near Tian'anmen someone says 'Hullo, do you speak English?' and Lo and behold it's the same two, they don't recognise me until I asked them if mum knew what they were doing? They both paled and took off.
So it goes. Silly me. Not wanting to be rude had cost $110. I'd had a wonderful bowl of dao xiao mian that day for RMB6 from an honest man who'd made the noodles right there in front of me, and the comparison was pretty stark. It's not the women who are the real baddies, but the coffee shops that pay them the commission. I had spoken to the shop-owner who had seen me photographing his shop, but I hadn't made a fuss, there wasn't a lot of point by then.
Posted on: Chinese Empresses
February 6, 2012 at 8:46 AMAs I recall Wu Zetian was historically also labelled as a bit of a monster... until Mao's wife Jiang Qing tried to sanitise her reputation and use her; but surely she deserves to be amongst the heroic women of history
老鬼
Posted on: Chinese Empresses
February 6, 2012 at 8:45 AMAs I recall Wu Zetian was historically also labelled as a bit of a monster... until Mao's wife Jiang Qing tried to sanitise her reputation and use her; but surely she deserves to be amongst the heroic women of history
老鬼
Posted on: Chinese Empresses
February 6, 2012 at 8:45 AMAs I recall Wu Zetian was historically also labelled as a bit of a monster... until Mao's wife Jiang Qing tried to sanitise her reputation and use her; but surely she deserves to be amongst the heroic women of history
... and for that matter CiXi was regent for about 50 years - even if she oversaw the dreadful defeats of the 2nd opium war, and Japan and I think Russia had a go too, as well as the Boxer rebellion and the final death of the dynasties - she nust have been sooooooooo powerful personally
老鬼
Posted on: Sleeping in
June 18, 2011 at 6:30 AM我呢 - 就是一只夜猫子， 每个晚上到两点钟在上网聊天着 。。。
I always get confused as to order when there are many place and time phrases。。。 4 phrases 16 possible orders!
Posted on: Manly Men and Womanly Women
June 18, 2011 at 6:11 AMUseful, socially ...
我在说‘讨厌’ 的话算不算是个娘娘腔。。。
我还不懂男人怎么 express polite irritation.
I often find I am missing the right word for people classifications or addressing people... I hate saying 小姐 or 太太 vs 先生 too, it is soooo sexist ... is there an alternative? Is 'double-standard' built into Chinese language?
Posted on: Using a Cell Phone in China
March 20, 2011 at 1:39 PMYes I found this less than useful or interesting too - and just turned it off ... However I had a cellphone problem I had hoped to resolve in China and never managed to sort out - My phone has GPS, but though I could download the Guangxi and Yunnan maps, never managed to make it work - does anyone else use GPS on their cell phones in China? Successfully?
Posted on: How to Eat a Hairy Crab
December 27, 2012 at 3:34 PMnothing has ever been proven to be bad about wei jing - it is another of those 'old wives tales'