User Comments - sydcarten

Posted on: Why are You Studying Chinese?

I've always been fascinated by languages. In high school I studied French and German. Later I studied Russian and Swedish as a private hobby, and I have been picking away at Irish for years (my family's ancestral roots there)..

I never thought of studying Asian languages until about ten years ago when I found myself with a girlfriend from Shanghai. She was a neighbour who just walked up to me one day on the street and introduced herself. She didn't speak a word of English, but boy, she could talk! When we were together she would talk non-stop and simply assume that I was listening and comprehending everything.

I don't know how, but even though I'd never tried studying Mandarin the words somehow started lodging in my brain and making sense. After a day out with her I would go home with my brain simply buzzing from the amount of new data it was processing.

I'm now married to an ethnic Chinese woman from Indonesia. Her parents are native speakers of Hakka, and her father speaks very good Mandarin. My wife unfortunately has an poor grasp of the language because she grew up under repressive Indonesian laws that forbade even the private use and teaching of Mandarin.

So to sum up my reasons for learning Mandarin:

1. Personal interest, and to finish something I have already started.

2. To help my wife further her learning of the language.

3. It has already come in very useful at work. I work at a train station and we regularly get customers who speak Mandarin but little or no English.

4. We are planning at trip to Shanghai next year to attend a relative's wedding, and I am looking forward to getting some real practice in.

Posted on: Subway Announcements

Thanks, that's a helpful start!

Posted on: Subway Announcements

I was a bit surprised (and disappointed) that this lesson doesn't include the word for PLATFORM - not even in the supplementary vocabulary list!

I work at a train station and it would be useful to know how to say that word.

I'd like to be able to say things like:

a. The next train to X departs from platform 2

b. Take the train to X, then change for another service.

c. Please insert your ticket here.

d. This ticket has expired.

e. This ticket is not valid in this area

f. The next train to X is running 5 minutes late

g. The next train to x has been cancelled due to a mechanical problem/ a sick passenger/ vandalism

Posted on: Going to Church

I agree

So, even though discussion of religion in Indonesia is not so relevant to a site dedicated to Chinese language and culture, it IS a lot safer.

A classic example of why you have to register yourself under a religion in Indonesia is when you want to get married.

Under Indonesian law non-religious ceremonies with a celebrant or registrar are not permitted. All weddings must be of a religious nature.

Secondly, under Indonesian law 'mixed' marriages where the couple are from different religious backgrounds are also not permitted.

As a result, one of the pair, usually the woman, is expected to convert to their partner's religion (regardless of what they may actually feel or believe personally)

An exception to this case is where the woman is from a Muslim background. In this case the man will be expected to convert, because Muslims are not permitted to leave the religion under any circumstances.

Maybe someone is interested to learn this.

Posted on: Going to Church

I may have similar views on religion to yourself.

But I don't think this is the appropriate venue to get on a soapbox about theology or the philosophy of religion.

I think it is more appropriate in here to keep discussion of religion to it's social and cultural aspects.

Posted on: Going to Church

OK, getting back to China.

I hesitate to to be too controversial on a site located in Shanghai, because I wouldn't want to make life difficult for the great people at ChinesePod.

But I was wondering what the practitioners of Fa Lun Da Fa think of China's so-called "opening up" to religion.

Posted on: Going to Church

I spent some time working in Indonesia. Over there all government forms and applications ask you for your religion.

You're not allowed to leave the section blank because under law you will have different rights and obligations, depending on what religion you are associated with.

And you are not allowed to put down Atheist or Agnostic because these are not recognised on the government list of acknowledged religions.

Westerners are generally classified as Katolik or Kristen. The word Kristen literally means Christian of course, but the Indonesians generally use it to differentiate between Catholicism and Protestantism.

Posted on: What meat is this?

I like Kangaroo meat. It's very lean - no fat, so it's healthy to eat. There are a few Chinese restaurants here that have kangaroo meat on the menu.

Posted on: What meat is this?

Kangaroo meat is readily available here in Sydney. I cook it sometimes as a substitute for beef in stirfries. Rabbit is available in areas with a more European influence. I've heard emu is sold too, but I've never seen it in shops. I find it interesting how fussy people are about eating meat. They're usually willing to try different fruit or vegetables, but ask them to try a new animal... SC

Posted on: My Dog

In Cantonese 好 (pronounced hou) is the most common way of saying 'very' SC