User Comments - svik
svik
Posted on: Love Tangle 1: A Suspicious Text Message
October 05, 2011, 03:00 AMI noticed in the supplementary vocab 第三者 meaning the third person -in an affair. I was reminded that it was also the title of the film: The Third Man, starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton. But that third man was a potential witness to a crime. Photo from 苏州 1983.
Posted on: Addressing People Revisited
October 02, 2011, 01:59 AMAfter some delay:
RJ---to continue, in 1982-83 I did not hear 先生 (xian sheng) used, but I did hear 同志 (tong zhi) at times. One strong memory was when I first arrived and I was sight-seeing with a chemistry professor from Beijing U (北大). So I went back and read from my journals to refresh my memory. He was a 48 yr old man, and he used that expression very smoothly among the crowds of people we encountered. I thought he was very comfortable, perhaps more so than an American academic might be. Later I decided that he was unusual in that regard, after I had met more local academic people. More interesting was the fact that we were also with his older sister, who had been a Chinese teacher of mine, a few years earlier at a US university. She had been away at university in 1949, whereas he stayed in China. They had been separated for 30 years, and were re-united in 1979. He spoke with a strong local accent, whereas she, being a teacher, spoke a more lovely 普通话 (pu tong hua). I got a tour of chemistry labs at 北大. They were in bad shape at that time. I never saw him again, except once he rode his bicycle past me and said hello briefly, as I waited at a bus stop. I found that was common not to see people again. Part of it was because people tended to live in very small apartments at that time- 2 rooms, shared kitchen, etc. Only twice was I invited to the homes of scientists, and they were senior people that had larger homes. In general, it was not so simple to socialize with local people in those years.
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 14: The Finale
October 02, 2011, 01:58 AM没问题！Have a great holiday!
Posted on: Lao Wang's Office 14: The Finale
October 01, 2011, 03:03 AMHi Jenny,
I have studied the Lao Wang series recently, and I think there are 14 lessons.
Posted on: All About Chinese Tea
September 18, 2011, 04:23 PMI had the chance to learn about tea at the Tea Science Department, Zhejiang University, 2008-2010.
pǔérchá 普洱茶 after it is sliced, before brewing.
Picking green tea in April 2009 near the West Lake of Hangzhou.
Pan frying 龙井茶 lóngjǐngchá. This is a demo at the Green Tea meeting of China 2009.
Posted on: Addressing People Revisited
September 17, 2011, 01:44 AMIn our lab in Beijing in the 1980's all the younger people were addressed as 小王， 小李，etc. except one who was 大丁。She explained that once there were 2 people named 丁 and she was the taller.
Recently I have heard graduate students still sometimes called 小王 etc, by their professors, but also by full names.
Here are some 小朋友们 from 1983.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/svik7/sets/72157626893783957/
Posted on: Bank Hours
September 10, 2011, 01:20 AMIt appears differently according to the font used. A webpage will designate the font to be used, but your computer might not have that font. If so, it will substitute. (Sorry if you already know this.) I have seen the font change while viewing Chinesepod pages. That is rather strange to see.
Here is a view of several fonts for mén 门
http://www.flickr.com/photos/svik7/6131254857/
Posted on: Breakup
August 19, 2011, 01:27 AMIt seems fine, but probably the 一起 can be dropped. This one is also OK: 他们在谈恋爱。or probably 我们在谈恋爱。(I'm not sure, my wife frowns upon my dating.) :)
Posted on: Breakup
August 18, 2011, 02:05 AMThis is from a lesson dialogue:
我，我现在不想谈恋爱。
I...I don't want to get into a relationship right now.
You might like this lesson:
http://chinesepod.com/lessons/lets-just-be-friends/discussion
Posted on: Ordering a Cake
April 02, 2014, 01:43 AMGood to hear your voice again, Jenny!