Archive for 'Vocabulary'
stuck at the border Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 15, 2009
Hello readers! Some days the border crossing can be quick, other days it can feel like molasses. The other night I was coming back over the border to Shenzhen and was stuck in a line that remained motionless while all the other lines advanced at a rate of one person per roughly 45 seconds. We…
Unbelievable Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 13, 2009
The other morning, I was in a taxi and saw that the driver was playing with his cellphone at a stoplight (the stoplights in Shenzhen can last about 90 seconds). My colleague inquired, “开车还可以炒股?” (As a driver you can play the stock market too?) “那你怎么了解行情呢?” (Well how do you find out what’s going on in…
Bookstore in SZ Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 8, 2009
Yesterday I made my way to a bookstore in Shenzhen stocking foreign titles. Near the overpass of the road with the store, I saw a banner saying 推崇阅读 (respect/praise reading), meanwhile there were performers playing the 二胡 (erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument) and taking donations from passers-by. As I exited the building, I saw plenty…
Online Purchases Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 5, 2009
Hello readers! The other day I was trying to set up a purchase on 支付宝 (Alipay), an online payment site. When I tried to 充值 (add funds), I found that there was a security certificate problem with my 银盾 (internet banking USB key). Even through I had prepared my 交易密码 (trading password) for the bank…
Net Slang pt.1 Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 27, 2009
Hello to all my reader 盆友 (friends)! 哇吓咪 (why) am I talking like this? 94俺 (it’s just that I) want to teach you some net slang. Don’t 晕 (feel faint) and don’t break a 汗 (sweat). By the end of this, you’ll saying, “at first he 745 了(really had me mad), but he’s no 愤青…
Another Pizza Hunt Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 24, 2009
I thought that I had left long pizza searches back in Beijing, but I guess that the fates had another plan for me. I saw an online listing showing where to find the previously-mentioned Shenzhen pizza place in person, so I 记好了 (wrote down) the place’s phone number. It wasn’t until I was in a…
Health Inspection Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 22, 2009
The other day I went to a hospital for a 体检 (health inspection) which is part of the application process for a 居留证 (residence permit). The first step included going to the hospital and 填表 (filling in a form) regarding basic health information, and the bottom of the form has a part where you have…