User Comments - redandy
redandy
Posted on: Visiting Taiwan
August 14, 2012, 12:55 PMI don't think the Taiwan/Mainland linguistic differences are much if any greater than the regional differences in mainland China. Itcertainly doesn't seem to be much of an impediment for Chinese speakers here in the US.
Having been to all the cities listed, I'd say Hualien and Tainan are my favorites, though all are fun places.
Posted on: The Stable 稳 (wen)
May 14, 2012, 05:58 PMI like it, it doesn't have the jarring start of the old one.
Posted on: Please Heat My Food
April 11, 2012, 03:53 PMFantuan, my favorite breakfast in small town Taiwan! I usually describe them to other Americans as like a burrito, but with rice instead of a tortilla.
Posted on: A Qing Wen to Our Listeners
March 12, 2012, 07:32 PMHow about nong(4th tone I think). My father in lawtides this word all the time and I have no idea of the correct usage.
Also, I was a big fan of the old mainland vs. Taiwan vocab lessons, as they were crucial for those of us who spend time in Taiwan.
Posted on: Spending Money in Hong Kong
February 10, 2012, 09:09 PMHmm..In my experience the most important part of the shopping story is to let people know how good of a deal you found. I've even known my wife to call friends/family while at the store to tell them what a good deal she got. I assume that's semi-normal?
Posted on: The Basics of Feng Shui
January 27, 2012, 08:28 PMThe one I've come across most often in the U.S. is that Chinese people refuse to buy or live in any house/apt that has a road coming directly at it, I assume that's also a fengshui thing?
Posted on: Sales Call
August 05, 2008, 02:19 PMI don't have to deal with Chinese marketing calls, thank goodness. On visits to Taiwan, there are always people trying to hand out fliers or get you to sign up for something. I usually go with "ting bu dong," even if I actually understand them. I'm obviously a wai guo ren so it's easy to get away with.
Posted on: China Fruit and Pre-Marital Sex
June 24, 2008, 02:44 PMI thought for sure when you mentioned Taiwan you'd say something about the lian wu (wax apples). Can you get them on the mainland?
Someone asked about binglang girls and the business -- well that's pretty obvious when you see a stand. Binglang chewers are almost exclusively men, and oftentimes kind of what Americans would call a "dirty old man," so the brightest lights and skimpiest outfits tend to get more business.
Posted on: Taipei
June 07, 2008, 07:56 PMI'm know both zhuyin and pinyin. I'd say the zhuyin avoids some of the problems native english speakers have with expecting a letter to have one sound and it actually having another, so I can see some basis for thinking it might produce better pronunciation. On the other hand, pinyin is much, much easier for your average english to start with, because they don't have to memorize a new alphabet.
Posted on: Visiting Taiwan
August 15, 2012, 02:56 PMLol, no comment as to that.
I'll say I do like Taiwan in that it has a good standard of living, and a lot of sights and interesting things to do, but really isn't too touristy, except at the handful of places that the mainland tour groups hit.