Why Electronic Locks Are Inferior Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 13, 2010
As you may have guessed from the title, recent experiences have shaped my opinion about electronic locks. To date, technicians have come to “fix” the lock 5 times. It was said by the second technician that the first one 不懂 (doesn’t understand) the lock’s workings -how he’s working as a repairman I’ll never know. …
Down on the Street (场外市场) Posted by Stephen on Mar 11, 2010
One of the most striking features of China and Chinese culture, when compared to the west, is the availability of goods on any given Chinese street. Sure, you could go to a Walmart 沃尔玛 wò ěr mǎ or a Carrefour 家乐福 Jiā lè fú, to find your daily sundries 事物 [shíwù], or even take the…
The PRD Michael Jackson Theory Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 9, 2010
Since moving to South China, I have developed a 理论 (theory) about the presence of 迈克尔杰克逊 (Michael Jackson) music. Namely- 不管在什么地方 (no matter the place), 不管怎么样 (no matter what), you will be no further than 一公里 (1 kilometer) from a place where you can 听见 (hear) a Michael Jackson song. This theory is based on…
The Power of Hello Posted by Stephen on Mar 8, 2010
Upon your first visit to China as a 老外 ［lǎo wài] foreign guest , regardless of whether or not you speak the language, will almost always be an emphatic, yet English: HELLO! From school children to cabbies, random strangers to tour guide members the greeting is awkwardly pronounced, but western specific. Sometimes it would border…
Credit Card Cancellations Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 26, 2010
Last month, a friend of mine lost his 钱包 (wallet), containing his 信用卡 (credit card), which he then had to 取消 (cancel) before his 账户被盗 (account [could be] taken). A larger concern than the money inside was his 个人资料 (personal information). Personally, I 宁愿 (would rather) lose my cash than have to report a missing…
Real Estate in China Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 25, 2010
Yesterday I was walking in a 商场 (mall) in Shenzhen, and I found the 走道 (corridor) to be rather 暗 (dark) except for emergency lighting. It’s difficult to say if this was an early sign of the 房地产泡沫 (real estate bubble) in China, but at least 20 storefronts had 旺铺招租 (hot shop for rent) signs…
Dryer Woes Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 24, 2010
In my previous apartment in Beijing, the washer broke. In this apartment, the dryer does not work. Because the dryer does not work, we had to purchase a 超静型干衣机 (super-quiet dryer), which occupies a significant amount of floorspace and resembles an inflated 气球 (balloon). My washer has a 烘干 (drying) 功能 (function), but it appears…