Archive for December, 2009
Hong Kong Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 30, 2009
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…
Christmas at the Airport Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 25, 2009
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…
Shipping Woes Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 23, 2009
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…
China’s National Soccer Team Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 20, 2009
In my previous post, I talked about my experience attending an NFL game. A great way to understand the people of a country is to understand its sports. For China, a large headache is the organization jokingly referred to as 国猪 (national pig), which is short for 国足(the national soccer team)- the 中国国家足球队 ([official name…
A Real NFL Game Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 15, 2009
The other day I attended a live 橄榄球 (American football) game with family and a friend. As we approached the 运动场 (stadium) sponsored by a company which manufactures 剃须刀 (razors), we observed large numbers of 球迷 (sports fans) preparing their 烧烤 (barbecues). The idea of eating meat before watching a gladiatorial match made me wonder…
Words I Never Thought I’d Understand the First Time I Heard Them Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 13, 2009
Below is a list of words that I never thought I’d end up hearing or speaking. 摩丝码 – (mo2si1ma3) – morse code. I would not have understood this word if it were not for the context. Understanding 码 as “code” when it is connected to other words can be very helpful. If someone has a…
H1N1 Vaccine Posted by Transparent Language on Dec 9, 2009
Hi All, Since returning to my hometown in Massachusetts, I have encountered some situations that would be very unlikely to occur in China. The other day I went to get the H1N1 疫苗 (vaccine) in order to 预防 (prevent) the spread of the virus. The vaccine was being distributed for free as part of a…