User Comments - mclarty

Posted on: Internet Slang (Part One)

There are a lot of guides to internet slang on the web and in books.   It is fun.  But something else would be helpful too.  For many different reasons you can yourself facing a computer display in Chinese characters.  There are bilingual dictionaries online of computer maintenance terminology.  But maybe Chinesepod could do a piece on plain computer interface language. 

Posted on: Which Character Is That?

Thanks. "Open in new tab" works.

colin

Posted on: Which Character Is That?

None of the tabs on this lesson will open for me, except "discussion."  I'd like to get "dialogue" but have also tried the others.  They all just set up an indicator saying they are loading -- but they never load.

Colin

Posted on: Pinyin Section 4: R

I have been looking around and do not find anything on erhua, the Beijing R, on Chinesepod. Is it discussed somewhere?

Posted on: Picking Up a Friend at the Airport

On thing I especially like about this lesson is the practice with jie1.  I still have trouble pronouncing one high even tone spread over two vowel sounds in one syllable.

It kills me reading the Analects since I trip over zi3 yue1.

Posted on: Tone Change Rule: Yi '一'

wjeffreys, and rjberki

Thanks.  Yes, the key here, which I had not noticed, is that the vowels around the consonant somehow agree with the consonant or "encourage" it as wjeffreys says. I would like to understand that better.  I do understand how to prononunce each, when I see it written in pinyin, but am less good at recognizing them by ear.  I need to key in better to the vowels with them.

As John says on the site rjberki gave, it seems that getting retroflex versus right is not as crucial as many other points of pronunciation.

Posted on: Tone Change Rule: Yi '一'

There is another pronunciation issue I cannot find anywhere on Chinesepod.  That is recognizing and rehearsing the difference between palatal and velar consonants: ch/q, sh/x, and so on.  I understand the difference and sometimes I hear it very clearly, but I do not always hear it right and probably do not always say it right.

No Chinese pronunciation resource I know of makes much of this.

Posted on: Ordering Xiaolongbao

In Philadelphia you have to go to the Dim Sum Garden and get these, across the street from the Reading Terminal Market.

The soup dumplings are great, and will burn your mouth unbearably if you're not careful.  The people are great and will speak Mandarin to someone who really isn't yet a solid Elementary yet on Chinesepod. 

Lots of kinds of handmade noodles.  It is a short menu, but one day they had cold duck's tongues.

And the prices are about twice what they are on side streets in Beijing, so maybe one third of what they should be in Philadelphia.

Posted on: Street Food Buffet

The slowed down pronunciation can be helpful I suppose.  But, especially when the pinyin is already there to see, I would rather hear the names said at regular, fluent speed.

Posted on: Salt and Pepper

patmetheny mentions Americans who don't want Chinese food in China.  When I first heard an American complaining about the food in China I almost smirked too.  But then she explained:  She was with a big corporation and was put in front of banquets every day, or twice a day.  Never just a nice plate of dumplings.  No simple bowl of soup, ever.   Over time it was just exhausting.  I would get tired of constant fancy meals too.  And unfortunately she was pretty dependent on her company, and the only alternative they thought to offer was American chain restaurants!