User Comments - pdmpdm

Posted on: Breaking Up

I hadn't thought about that, Matt, but yeah it's full of possibilities! He's the 弟弟, right... how much younger is he? Could have an older woman, younger man romance. Or I see the 哥哥 regretting his decision in the future and then a brother-brother fight at the 弟弟's wedding to the old girlfriend. Or depending on how far CPod wants to take it, I can see us learning how to say "fratricide" in Chinese soon. 

Posted on: 会 (Huì) and 能 (Néng) Face-off

Dear Amber,

Just read this on theonion.com. Immediately thought of you. (in case you have trouble with this site in China, I'm also pasting the text of the article). Enjoy and thanks for all the good stuff. Keep smiling! (oh, and while we're talking links, I second the one that 'laodie' recommended above)

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/smiling_now_primarily_used

Smiling Now Primarily Used To Communicate Anger

August 29, 2008 | Issue 44•35

NEW YORK—The smile, a facial expression traditionally used to convey joy, pleasure, or amusement, is now mainly used to suppress rage, according to a five-year study released Monday by the Countenance Institute. "More than 85 percent of smiles are involuntary responses to mounting anger," the study read in part. "In addition, the length and intensity of these smiles directly correspond to the amount of anger the smile is concealing. A smile that lasts less than two seconds represents just a passing annoyance, while a smile of four to eight seconds indicates a genuine hatred for its target." The study noted that individuals smiling for more than one minute while nodding and baring their teeth are most likely preparing to kill the person they are smiling at.

Posted on: 会 (Huì) and 能 (Néng) Face-off

acorrigan,

Sorry, dude, I thought those were rhetorical questions. My bad, as they say.

You're asking the right questions. Don't stop. I would add to some of these other comments what a jazz musician once said to me about improvisation: there are no wrong notes, but some are better than others. The same can apply to language, I believe.

Posted on: 会 (Huì) and 能 (Néng) Face-off

acorrigan, I like your comment, but it's a pretty sweeping statement. How about a little follow-up? Where did you go? I'm guessing that you're pro-descriptive and anti-prescriptive when it comes to grammar and I can certainly support that (if 'laodie' had written 'standard' or some such instead of 'correct' maybe this issue wouldn't have come up). Yes, language is a living thing and living things change, and language is just a bunch of conventions that we all agree upon in order to communicate (the conventions used often indicating the class of the speaker, but that's a whole other thing and this is just a short post) but you don't have to be a Prince Charles-ish waterhead to suggest that some conventions of the King's English are better than others and allow for some subtlety that's worth keeping. So, what's up, acorrigan? How far can this be taken? Are there any -- Heaven forfend -- rules?! Learn us more, hepcat, I ain't sure your meaning. (hmm... maybe 'class' is at the heart of this topic, after all)

Posted on: High Maintenance Girls and the Elderly

Re Taiwanese women. I don't know much but I can report that my Taiwanese roommate's boyfriend visited from Taipei recently (we're in New York) and the first time they walked in together from strolling around the city he was lugging her purse. Of course, I immediately busted him on it. bei1 bao1 bao1! He took it as his lot in life and we all laughed about it. Though my roommate did just say that her boyfriend is book stupid and ugly and that's why she dates him: she doesn't have to worry about him cheating on her. I'm guessing that's not a trait shared by the stereotypical Shanghai gal.

Posted on: Gifts Chinese People Like and 'Chinatomy' Premiere!

If you're from the States and are looking for a gift made in the States, you might consider these Rockmount Western shirts that are -- believe it or not -- still Made in the USA, as they say (www.rockmount.com). And pretty iconic... recognizable, I'm sure, to Chinese folks as quintessentially American. And light in the suitcase. And they can look pretty cool, if you wear them right. I'm planning on taking a few for my Chinese friends when I go back to Beijing in the Fall, (and picking up a couple new shirts for myself in the process). Supposedly the gingham style has been hot in Japan recently. Might transfer well to China. They're a little pricey but well made, so save them for your special Chinese friends. (Apologies if shilling is not allowed or is frowned upon here. But I guess it's not quite shilling if I'm not getting paid or getting a kickback or if I don't know a soul at Rockmount... I just like the shirts).