User Comments - xiaophil

Posted on: Monopoly, Uno, or Twister?

This lesson was a great idea, but here is one that is just as needed if not more: the playing cards lesson.

I have tried to play cards with Chinese people before, and it is always a bit funny as nobody knows the exact words to use, i.e. Chinese people will say things like "I will 'wash the cards'" and "I have a 'black flower'".

Posted on: Relativity

I just so happen to have studied this lesson today. Perhaps this is the reason?

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. I guess this time we have uniformity in the English speaking world... at least from what we see in this small sample.

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

Wait, you might actually say, "Look at the guy over there," and you could be referring to a woman? Seriously?

Posted on: The Final Jizhou Pieces

Thanks CPod.  I didn't catch this series the first time around.  Recently, I checked them all out in sequence.  I think this is a pretty sweet story.  No, I wouldn't bother with it if it was only English (obviously), but I went through it systematically, read it aloud even, and never got bored.  Being entertained while studying is welcomed by me as I study a lot and don't like feeling bored all of the time.  I appreciated finally learning 小题大做 because I always have tried to explain to Chinese students "make a mountain out of a molehill" before, and it always seems to fail.

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

I indeed understand independence. No problem there.

I don't think the pronunciation is so much the problem. The Brits I know seem to pronounce a hard A in 'mate'. I just think America is totally man/dude territory. 'Mate' and an America accent just don't fit together as a package.

Okay, I am digressing too much...

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

I'm still curious why Australians can't say 'gal'. Is it just because they would sound too much like an American? If so, I can relate. I once called someone 'mate' once (in real life) for a joke, and the New Zealander I was talking with agreed that it sounded really funny coming out of my mouth with a Michigan accent.

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

Gal is off limits for nationalistic reasons? Why? I'm genuinely curious (and possibly terribly ignorant). My ma loves to say things such as "so-and-so is the nicest gal".

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

Thanks for chiming in xiao liang

One note: I think that the female equivalent to 'guy' would be 'gal'. Picky, I know.

Posted on: Getting to Know CPod Teacher Helen (and exciting content news)!

Hey changye

I noticed you said 'guys' and seemed to avoid women in your analysis. Was that on purpose? Just curious.