User Comments - tvan
tvan
Posted on: Language Exchange
July 14, 2009 at 12:25 PMI second xiaophil's recommendation re: finding a language partner. An added caveat would be that it also helps to find someone with common interests and the same age.
Posted on: 沙漠寻踪四
July 14, 2009 at 4:02 AM啊，对不起 xiaophil, 我看错了。
Posted on: Lessons and Comment Policy
July 13, 2009 at 10:16 PM
@paulinrinus, I don't know. I've had customers that are a-holes: abuse staff, complain constantly, pay late, etc. It's a common problem in business. If they push me the wrong way, I push back.
Now please note, I don't treat them just any other a-hole. I treat them like paying a-holes and take care of busines. But, if you just roll over for a buck, you're not a businessman; you're a politician.
Posted on: 沙漠寻踪四
July 13, 2009 at 7:52 PM@xiaophil，环境保护论者不会恶劣吗？前二十多年我在一家财富五百材大公司打工。有的环境保护论者把几条尖顶在树里。把原木去工厂设备爆炸了，结果是差不多杀一位工人。环境保护论者的们的嘴里很抱歉，可是他们还做。而且也放有的小炸弹在共产里。说实在那些炸弹不会破坏公司的设备。只会杀人。我不知道是谁说，
An evil man who does evil knows his nature and thus restrains himself. What I fear most is a man who does evil in the name of God, for his cruelty knows no bounds. （or something like that)
有时环境保护论不是一种的宗教吗？
Posted on: No TV Before Your Test!
July 13, 2009 at 2:23 AMZhenlijiang, I suppose Natsumi was an exceptional girl based on what you say. Still, as sheltered as Japanese students may be, I wonder if Chinese students aren't even more so.
Personally, I believe Japanese underrate themselves creativity-wise (e.g. see above comment re: anime.) I can't think of a foreign (non-English speaking) country that has had as much of a cultural impact on the U.S. as Japan. It is sometimes suggested that Japan takes America's ideas (e.g. Billy Mitchell, Deming, etc.) and then executes better. Yet execution requires at a great degree of creativity as well; and at least you don't brag about inventing gunpowder and paper.
Posted on: Lessons and Comment Policy
July 13, 2009 at 1:37 AMMatt, obviously you've gotten some negative feedback from some users. Its cool with me. Previously, some people have taken umbrage with comments re: politics, particularly overseas Chinese poddies. I've been sensitive to that and now post politically sensitive comments (regarding the PRC) on web sites made for that purpose. (Curiously, they're mostly in China.) I guess there's no reason that the same can't hold true for other subject mattter. The great thing about the Net is that any subject is welcome somewhere, so it's no big deal not to post it here.
However, for the poddies who wish to stay strictly on topic, I suggest that you might be missing something. By definition, a free-ranging discussion introduces lots of interesting vocabulary; of course, it needs to be posted at least partially in Chinese for that to be true, preferably including native speakers.
Posted on: No TV Before Your Test!
July 11, 2009 at 2:38 PMOver the years I have hosted five exchange students, three from Asia: two young men (one Taiwanese, the other Chinese) and a young Japanese girl. The Taiwanese boy adopted the name "Mike" after Michael Jordan. He basically came to the U.S. to play basketball on a high school team, something that he was proscribed from doing in Taiwan. The kid from Macao wanted to skateboard and sing rap music, but all his parents cared about was finishing calculus by high school. I think that both were, in a sense, escaping for a year.
The best rounded of the bunch, and the only one who got decent grades was the Japanese girl. She immediately became first violinist, pitched on the softball team, and didn't have a heart attack when she saw her first U.S. high school students dance; naturally, because she did all these things routinely in Japan.
Based on that admittedly small sample, I vote for the Japanese system.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 12: A Dodgy Opportunity
July 10, 2009 at 3:16 AMSebire, if I were to say I work for him, I would probably (incorrectly?) say:
- 我帮他做事。
- 她/他 是我的老板 (also used in marital relations)
- 我在他的公司做事
Posted on: Traveling around China
July 9, 2009 at 7:34 PMbodawei, as a cautionary tale, I once was feeling bad and not up to standing in line. An unofficial "agent" offerred to take my money and buy the ticket for me. I waited for him outside in a small tea house. He fulfilled the first part of the bargain...
Posted on: China's Most Famous Tourist Destinations
July 14, 2009 at 6:36 PMrioh10, Taipei used to call its main airport, Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (changed under 陈水扁 in 2006). Also, there are streets and such named after Sun Yat-sen.
Still, I agree that it's unlikely that we will see a Mao Zedong airport anytime soon on the mainland.