User Comments - wildyaks
wildyaks
Posted on: Missing Persons in Jizhou
October 15, 2007 at 2:15 PMThis is a very interesting question, tangmoo (now don't you change your name on me again...). I would like to hear what people have to say.... I am sure it says something about culture and the way we perceive the supernatural
Posted on: Recent Events
October 15, 2007 at 12:08 PMSounds cool. Maybe I should make the trip to Shanghai someday...
Posted on: Opinions on Poetry
October 15, 2007 at 8:44 AMGood question, iamthomasharrison!
Posted on: Opinions on Poetry
October 15, 2007 at 4:32 AMJust think of all the effort Chinese kids have to put in to learn how to read and write! It's immense. That could go other places, if China had a different writing system. I have wondered often, as Changye, how much of a burden this must be, and how much of this effort could have used in other areas if there was a less complex writing system and less history and literature to reflect upon. Having said this, the Chinese are doing remarkably well and are way ahead so many of us when it comes to memorizing and to discpline in learning, drilling, etc.
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 15, 2007 at 3:08 AMthe 的 comes before the noun - although that is sometimes omitted, as in the sentence above. 别听他说的（话). 别听他的（话）。 It goes with the noun (话) that may or may not be stated. Here the context gives you the noun, so no need to say it.
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 14, 2007 at 8:22 AMThanks, that makes sense.
Posted on: Speaking and Writing
October 14, 2007 at 6:59 AMThis lesson reminds me of a joke our teacher once told us: A mother is teaching her young child to write. She starts with yi, er, san. One after the other, showing him how to write them. Then she tells him to go to his room and practice. Two hours later the mother starts to worry. it's very quiet in the boy's room. Finally she goes to check. There he is, with sheets full of lines. And he says. "Mommy, how in the world am I ever going to be able to write our surname Wan (万 - 10'000). I have been writting for hours now and am only up to 3572!"
Posted on: Fighting over the Bill
October 14, 2007 at 6:50 AMJust worked through the dialogue. I have a question. Somebody can enlighten me? There is this sentence: 你都买了好几次。 What's the "dou" (all) doing here? Would there be a difference in meaning without it? I probably would have said: 你以前买了好几次。 would that be wrong?
Posted on: Table Manners and Tipping
October 14, 2007 at 3:44 AMokay, steven511, "ruin the market for foreigners" was a stupid thing to say. Didn't think about the wording. And it's not that I think foreigners should get privileged treatment.. It's not about that. What I meant to express in a few badly chosen words was my frustration I experienced a couple of times, when I was stuck in situations when I was quite willing to pay even a bit above the usual price for a service, but because of previous experience with foreigners the person offering the service was adamant that I pay way too much. If it triples or quadruples normal market price, then something is not quite right anymore, don't you think? Anyhow, bad choice of words for a problem/frustration I encountered a few times.
Posted on: Opinions on Poetry
October 15, 2007 at 2:33 PMDid you know that famous chairman 毛泽东 wrote poetry? My friend who is a bit of a poet herself, just pointed that out. It's probably old news for many of you... Just read one of his poems - in English. Quite liked it.