Chinese Language Blog

After leaving 伦敦 I had to spend some time in Hong Kong.  Having never spent time at 兰桂坊 (Lan Kwai Fong, an area similar to Beijing’s 三里屯 [Sanlitun] district), I went with some friends to investigate.  There I met an American 本地人 (local) who had moved to Hong Kong when he was a toddler, as well as a group of tourists from 瑞典 (Sweden) who were on holiday in Hong Kong before going to Vietnam.  Lan Kwai Fong is a popular place for people to party 通宵 (all-night) until 天亮 ([the sun comes up]) the next morning, because many establishments there are open long through the night.  Many people in Hong Kong have a very 现实 (practical/realistic) attitude towards life, not dwelling on setbacks but rather focusing on 下一步 ([the] next step).  After returning to Shenzhen, I met with a friend who is interested in joining the ranks of a 私募 (private equity) fund.

伦敦 lun2dun1 – London
兰桂坊 lan2gui4fang1 – Lan Kwai Fong, a popular entertainment district in Hong Kong
三里屯 san1li3tun2 – Sanlitun, an entertainment district in Beijing popular among foreigners
本地人 ben3di4ren2- local perosn
瑞典 rui4dian3 – Sweden
通宵 tong1xiao1 – all night long
天亮 tian1liang4 – lit. “sky light” sunrise
现实 xian4shi2 – realistic, practical
下一步  xia4yi1(2)bu4 – [the] next step
私募 si1mu4 – private equity

Today I was at the London 机场 (airport) on my way back out to China.  When I went into downtown London, it was truly a scene of 人烟稀少 (barely having a trace of human activity).  I saw a 旅行团 (tour group) including people from 山东 (Shandong province in China).  While going to Big Ben in a cab, I asked the driver how long it takes to 考证 (pass the test for [a] certificate) to be a London cab driver.  Without missing a beat, he replied that it usually takes 4 years.  I also learned that many Englanders do not consider themselves grouped with the European 大陆 (mainland), despite being a part of the EU and European Economic Area.   With another cab driver, I spoke about the rights guaranteed by the 宪法 (constitution) of the US.  I went to a restaurant boasting authentic cuisine from 巴基斯坦 (Pakistan), but I was not as impressed as the review writers had been.  Later on at the airport, I wanted to communicate with my family on Skype, but I had to update the 驱动 (drivers) for my sound card before my microphone would work.  圣诞节快乐! (Merry Christmas!)

机场 ji1chang3 – airport
人烟稀少 ren2yan1xi1shao3 – lit. people smoke sparse few. meaning “barely any traces of people”
旅行团 lv3xing2tuan2 – tour group
山东 shan1dong1 – Shandong province in China
考证 kao3zheng4  – to get the certificate by testing
大陆 da4lu4 – mainland
驱动 qu1dong4 – drivers for software or hardware
宪法 xian4fa3 – constitution
巴基斯坦 ba1ji1si1tan3 – Pakistan
圣诞节快乐 sheng4dan4jie2kuai4le4 – Merry Christmas

When ordering 包裹 (packages) purchased online, there is almost always a way to get a 单号 (tracking number) which you can 查询 (look up) online to track the progress of your package.  However, you may sometimes encounter some 差异 (discrepancies/differences) between the information on record and the real-time data.  Worst of all, some large companies with advanced tracking technology cannot deliver to small towns, because they are not in that company’s 服务范围 (service range).  Once when I ordered weights to my apartment, I suspected that the doorperson 拿不起 ([would] be unable to lift) the weight, and sure enough she 拿不动 (couldn’t move it at all).  Although I normally have people 代收 (receive [packages] on my behalf), this time the people 肯定 (most certainly) had trouble receiving the weights and the deliveryman could only 忍受 (endure) while the front desk called me to confirm receipt.

包裹 bao1guo3 – package/parcel
单号 dan1hao4 – tracking number
查询 cha2xun2 – to look up something
差异 cha1yi4 – differences
服务范围 fu2wu4fan4wei2 – service range
拿不起 na2bu4qi3 – to be unable to lift something (said when you imply that someone does not have the means to be able to lift something- i.e. innate strength)
拿不动 na2bu2(4)dong4 – to be unable to lift something (in this case, it refers to someone’s action on the object and still being unable to do it)
代收 dai4shou1 – to receive something on behalf of someone else
肯定 ken3ding4 – definitely
忍受 ren3shou4 – enduring