User Comments - crazyfish
crazyfish
Posted on: Questioning a Child
January 25, 2013, 11:33 PMThanks, atleast I now know where the problem is
Posted on: Questioning a Child
January 25, 2013, 11:26 PMTal, apparantly Kanguru is the correct name for a Roo as used by the Botany Bay Aborigines. Cook and his men were given this name by the Aboriginals in Botany Bay when he first stopped there - when they then ran aground off Queensland one of the sailors pointed to a Roo and said "Kanguru" - the Aboriginals response was "what did you say?".
Cooks men thouht that all Aboriginies spoke the same language - they were not aware that there were 250 different dialects and that the Aboriginals where they landed had a completey different word for a Roo.
This is where the "old wives tale" of "Kanguru" means "I do not know" comes from (This was the subject of a QI question on TV).
Imagine, 250 individual languages for such a small population of people! and I thought China had alot of dialects!
Posted on: Questioning a Child
January 25, 2013, 11:05 PMIn this lesson, as with many other lessons, not all of the audio links work. Some in the gramma section do not work and all in the Dictation section on the Excercise tab do not work (no problems with the Vocabulary or Expansion tabs).
Is this a CP issue or is it my computer? I have been assuming it is a CP problem as some are working in each lesson.
Thanks
Posted on: Lost Wallet and Passport
August 16, 2011, 11:50 AMXaon, I also like John and Dilu, and I certainly did not mean to imply otherwise.
Posted on: Lost Wallet and Passport
August 16, 2011, 11:47 AMGood one Jenny! Your non Aussie poddies are probably really confused now!
Posted on: Lost Wallet and Passport
August 11, 2011, 12:40 PMWith Ken's lessons there were a lot more examples from other cultures to compare to the Chinese translations. Since he left it has been nothing but American examples and American focussed leasons (even Jenny seems to have forgotten that she studied in Australia!). I guess CP has a strategy of targeting American's, which is not surprising given the size of the market.
Posted on: Hungry Traveler: Dongbei
June 18, 2009, 11:48 AMGreat lesson, I'm a newbie but understood everything right from the beggining. Then I realised it was the accent! My business associate and very good friends are from Dongbei and a signifcant amount of my time in China is spent in that region.
Have not been able to get to Harbin yet (hopefully next January) but I rate Dalian as one of the top cities in China.
I travel all over China on business and there is absolutley no doubt that they are the biggest drinkers of baijiu in China. Tastes like gasoline but has some wonderfully "warming" benefits.
Posted on: Illegal taxis
February 09, 2009, 03:30 AMI have always found the taxis to be embarrasingly cheap in Shanghai (anywhere in China for that matter) and even on the shortest of journeys, if the price is only 10 kuai I will happily pay 20 just to see the expression on the taxi drivers face!
I have also had the few (every time I get of the plane at any airport in China!) illegal approaches and have used these from time to time when it has suited my purposes - fully aware that I am being overcharged.
What I struggle with is in peak hours getting a taxi to take you short distances. Say Yu Yuan garden to JW Marriot in Shanghai (maybe 3klms as the crow flies). Getting a taxi to stop is 1 thing but they soon take off when you mention your destination as it is less than 10 kuai. What they don't know is I am more than happy to pay 50 kuai for this ride but my Chinese is not yet good enough to get that explanation accross before they bolt! any phrases or suggestions?
Illegal taxi's are all over the world, try and get through any airport in Asia, Africa or Sth America without being offered "taxi taxi, cheap cheap" (people do what they can to survive!). But in China I always feel absolutley safe and in control.
By the way, sorry for the long blurb, I have been with CPod for nearly 12 months now, absolutley love you guys - my Chinese has come on in leaps and bounds since joining - but this is my first time in joining in on any discussions - hope to do more as I really think it helps with the understanding
Posted on: Buying Souvenirs
August 13, 2015, 01:34 PMI have been using Chinese pod since 2008 and am only just starting on the Intermediate level. I have done nearly all of the Newbie's, half of the Elementary,continually listen to podcasts every day and travel to China 5 to 6 times per year.
When I do the placement test I am like you and struggle to get past the first one, but when I go to China within 24 hours of being there I start speaking very good Chinese (even surprise myself with what I recall)
I believe you soak it in and need to be immersed in it for it to start flowing (or as Fiona would say "think in the Chinese way") - so don't get discouraged.
By the way, the new video Qing Wen lessons are great - they are really helping me and you should give them a go if you have not already