Thanksgiving! Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 29, 2008
Last Thursday marked the holiday of 感恩节 (Thanksgiving). American families at home and abroad sat down to hearty portions of 火鸡 (turkey), 土豆 (potatoes), 小红梅酱 (cranberry sauce), and 南瓜派 (pumpkin pie). Thanksgiving is a 家庭团聚的节日 (holiday for family gathering). Typically, it’s a time for people to 对家人表示感激 (express appreciation for family). On your Thanksgiving, don’t…
Birthday! Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 28, 2008
The other day marked the occasion of my 生日 (birthday). In China, people will usually ask someone’s age by asking his or her 属相 (Chinese zodiac sign). People’s numerical reports of their age may vary based on their 周岁 (actual age) and 虚岁(age based on Chinese zodiac). Birthdays are accompanied by 生日卡(birthday cards)，生日蛋糕 (birthday cakes)，and…
Computer Buying Part the Second Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 24, 2008
Aside from the decisions you’ll be making about the origin of your hardware and legality of the software, you’re going to want to know how to take a closer look at the computer. A good laptop usually comes with 2Gb of 内存 (memory/RAM), a sizable 硬盘 (hard drive). Don’t worry too much about that though…
Computer Buyer Primer – The Process Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 24, 2008
For anyone based in Beijing, locating low-cost electronic equipment is no sweat. A quick trip to one of the many hardware/software hubs in the northwest part of the city will be met with endless hawkers, touts, and advertisements all competing for your yuan. When you finally do get to a vendor whose prices are what…
Election Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 20, 2008
Hello! Sorry for the delayed update, there are now a bunch of posts in the hopper. One big event since my last post was the US Presidential Election! 奥巴马 (Obama) won over 麦凯恩 (McCain) to become America’s 总统 (president), and the 民主党 (Democratic party) now outnumbers the members of the 共和党 (Republican party) in America’s…
Getting a Job Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 28, 2008
Hello readers! As you may or may not know, one of my involvements here in the tumultuous worldwide economy is finding a job here in China- a process known by no other name than 就业 (starting a job). If you find yourself in a position where you have 失业(lost one’s job/become unemployed), you must work…
Service Phrases One Is Likely to Encounter Whilst in China Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 24, 2008
First of all, an apology for the late entry. I got food poisoning. Most people are wary of getting food from street vendors, but that doesn’t take street credibility into account. If people get sick from your food and you’re a vendor on the street, you’ll get run out of dodge before you know it. …