User Comments - shanghai_helios

Posted on: Which is better: China or the USA?

In my experience, this question is quite common, and not only from taxi drivers. The assumption is often that the US is better, or at least wealthier. (one of the common responses is that yes, China has a lot of forex and lends the US lots of money, but the average person in China is poor. Thus, China is poor).

This question could be an intermediate or upper intermediate lesson to teach what are the common ways of politely saying the advantages of each country.

Posted on: Switching Seats on a Plane

Cinnamonfern, you can also choose your seat at movie theaters in Shanghai.

Posted on: Introducing New Voices

discipline88, it's not sexist, it's a matter of diversity. I find that men and women often have different ways of speaking both in terms of intonation and vocabulary. Most Chinese teachers are females, so learners might have difficulty when understanding men. Also, the initial contact in offices (and social situations--at least for men) is most likely going to be with female speakers. Thus, I think an emphasis on diversity and featuring male voices is important.

Posted on: National Day Holiday

Some companies, in particular foreign invested ones, extend the holidays to cover weekends. Employees at those companies are the lucky ones.

Posted on: Giving Instructions to the Ayi

Bodawei, In regards to the social class of ayis, China tried a classless society for a while. Didn't work very well, and ended up with different types of classes anyway.

In any type of economic relationship, there is going to be inequality, whether it is employer-ayi, university-teacher, or, factory owner-factory worker. Labor laws are there to help even out the system, but if the employee doesn't like it, the employee can at least walk.

To me, the key is whether there is mobility and the ability to find something else. With the improvement of the economy and breakdown of the hukou system, ayis and everyone else can at least move and try to find something else instead of being stuck in a centrally planned job or on a collective farm.

Also, whether a certain job is attractive is a subjective decision. For a group or generation of people, a factory job or an ayi (or driver) position may representative a significant opportunity or step up, even though it may not be a job you or I would want. I'm aware of ayis who are using the money they make to buy houses for their parents. Maybe you are focusing on the "inequality" of the job position, while they are focused on taking care of their kids and parents.

We all have parts of our jobs that are awful, and for some, it may be digging tissues out of pockets, driving a taxi through traffic, dealing with nasty clients, or constant travel.

Posted on: Giving Instructions to the Ayi

Bodawei,

You indeed are living in different circles. Even many middle class families in Shanghai have ayis, many on a part-time basis, which permits the ayis to work for several families and increase their incomes substantially. In some situations, an Ayi can make much more than a factory worker making minimum wage, and the working conditions in many cases may be much better.

Besides, this was a good lesson to learn what actually goes on in China.

And the comments about the "matter of fact" nature are correct. It is just a different way of speaking, which people do not consider rude.

Posted on: Speaking with 跟 (gen) and 对 (dui)

What about using 给 (gei), as in 给你讲 gei ni jiang.

Is that a Taiwan usage?

Posted on: The Lazy Child

The kid probably has an ayi.

Posted on: Weighing Yourself on the Street

A good follow up lesson would be weight loss centers. These places seem to be sprouting up at many malls.

Posted on: Going to the Gas Station

A key to driving indeed is knowing where the gas stations are, and when they are open. There are stations in residential areas, but stations are much more common in the countryside along provincial highways. The one thing that the dialog left out is that the attendant always asks if a fapiao is needed.

Road trips are becoming more popular--check a bookstore for the many driving guides. We put in more than 4,000 K last winter, and in October it's off to Hunan.