User Comments - stevemisch

Posted on: Express Train or High-speed Train?

OK, I relinquish my stoic independence and will throw my hat in the ring of the (too many) Jenny Zhu admirers and join the minions in her Fan Club.  Is there a seperate charge and do we get a special decoder ring when we join?

Posted on: I see a thief!

I have some experience pounding Shanghai theives so really enjoyed this one.  About half of my Chinese friends "lose" their phones per year to thieves and it represents about half their monthly income.

In People's Square I saw a thief in action and jumped on his back as he was leaning forward, like a bear falling from the sky, and rode him to the ground, stradling him and asking him "why?" in Chinese.  He was pressed to the pavement and shocked that a foreigner would jump him.  They usually use the element of surprise but since he was so focused on the crime I surprised him!

Another time by the big shopping center in People's square I saw the same guy who is stealing phones every day!  It's his full time job so I recognized him and followed him after the subway.  Sure enough, within 30 seconds he was putting his hand in a girl's purse for her phone.  I ran up behind him, ang again using surprise, body slammed him into a nearby tree, causing him to drop the phone and cry out.  Then I pulled him off the tree and threw him to the ground so he rolled over a few times after hitting the ground.  His wife (with baby on back) made rude Chinese comments about my mother.  The victim was confused about what all the excitement was about so I told her to pick up her phone and dial 110.

Seems no will to stop these folks.  Can easily spot them on the street or popular malls because their rythym of walking and looking is DIFFERENT.  If no one stops them the criminals win.  However, am told that they often carry knives so may be dangerous.

Now I often prefer to hang at a distance, about 30 meters and call 110, ask for english line, and simply report what's going on--even if they're just casing people WAITING to rob I call, because it's so obvous.

Also, saw same mom with baby busted at doorway of mall.  Yet she was on the street 3 days later.

BTW, my mind played that video loop of me body slamming him into the tree for weeks afterwards--was REALLY SATISFYING (on behalf of all my friends whose phones have been stolen)!!!

Posted on: Language Exchange

Thanks so much Connie!  Good job.  :-)

Posted on: Tone Change Rule: Yi '一'

I think these tone change "rules" stem from the anatomy and function of our "voice box," and our tendency to save effort, e.g., it's easier to go "down" in 4th tone if you've just gone "up" with a preceding 2nd tone.  Doctor Steve  :-)

Posted on: Language Exchange

5 mistakes in Exercises.  Dictation #2 messed up and Matching has 4 questions just plain missing--Come on guys!  No one proofreads this stuff?  :-)

Posted on: The Pen and Paper Mystery

In expansion "she gave me pen" not all the characters highlight when moused over...seems sometimes these errors remain for years.

The character "han" is the same as in "han shui," meaning sweat?

Posted on: Grammar Lesson

in the expansion the "7 o'clock" doesn't highlight to show pinyin or english when moused over

Posted on: It's My Birthday!

I work in China as a doctor and today I had a 65 year old lady patient who was born here, but then spent the last 55 years or more in the USA, so she knows some Chinese, but it's atrophied over the years.  While I was chasing down her lab results and medicines I had her listen to Chinese pod in my office. 

SHE JUST LOVED IT! To see her face light up as she heard her old native tongue spoken, then explained, as she watched on the computer screen was a joy to behold.  She doesn't consider herself a "computer person" but it came alive for her today.

She squirmed with joy--really!  She didn't know the noodle part of Chinese birthdays and enjoyed that nuance too.  Good job!  You may have a new subscriber.  :-)

Posted on: It's My Birthday!

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Posted on: It's My Birthday!

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