User Comments - tvan
tvan
Posted on: I want coffee!
December 11, 2008 at 8:11 PMchinkerfly, that stuff isn't coffee. It's just something you drink that they add coffee to. :-)
Posted on: I want coffee!
December 11, 2008 at 1:35 PMdunderlumpken, there are two Qing Wen's dealing with 了, one for the single 了 and another for the double 了. However, be forewarned that the 了 particle is a truly evil particle, and there are many subtleties in its use.
Frankly, when reading, I usually rely upon context to understand the meaning of 了's use, rather than analyzing the sentence structure.
Posted on: 普通人的慈善
December 10, 2008 at 4:32 AM慈善事业只是佛教的马？不是基督教？...天主教？...回教？ 除了唯物论 (共产党？）以外，好像所有的宗教都有这种传统。
不可以讲吗？
Posted on: 世界经济危机
December 10, 2008 at 3:55 AMEyux, your article won't be removed. Hell, it's in a U.S. magazine. Personally, I think his condemnation of derivatives is too broad-based and betrays a lack of understanding of financial markets and their... OK, I'd better stop now...
However, regarding Americans borrowing too much and being unwilling to face the truth? Right on! Which leads to the question Gao Xiqing dodged; what about its bankers?
Posted on: Food Regions of China
December 10, 2008 at 3:26 AMmatt_c, thanks for the writing. I've always just ordered 泡菜. The first time I ordered it, they served it stir fried with ground pork... because "That's how Americans like it." When I complained that it wasn't as good as kimchee, I was surrounded the entire wait staff and, eventually, given the real thing.
As for the saying, I don't remember being born; however, I'd rather live in Yunnan, eat in Sichuan, and die of chile poisoning!
Posted on: Food Regions of China
December 8, 2008 at 2:21 AMA Sichuan dish I like is called Pǎo Cài. (I'm guessing on the pronunciation/accent.) It is a Sichuanese variation on Korean Kimchee... quite spicy, and also eaten raw.
Does anyone know how to write it?
Posted on: Using 除了。。。以外 (Chúle... Yǐwài)
December 8, 2008 at 12:23 AMOn switching languages, does anybody else answer questions in another language (e.g. Spanish) in Chinese? I do this all the time.
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
December 3, 2008 at 2:15 PMhouban, watch out if you are the only foreigner at a banquet as well. It's like somebody painted a giant 干杯 target on your forehead.
The Japanese used to (still do?) wield drinking as a weapon during business negotiations. One team would take you out drinking into the wee hours, and a different team would show up for the 10:00 a.m. meeting. In China, however, everybody seems to show up late with a hangover.
Posted on: Chinese New Year Plans
December 2, 2008 at 8:39 PMIsn't there also a "leap month" in the lunar calendar?
Posted on: I want coffee!
December 12, 2008 at 4:00 AMChangye, reliable native speakers? Interesting grammar books?