6/02/2004
Slow Brain
Been slow to update since my brain is slow to function lately. I seem to have hit another mini plateau in my Chinese I jumped way ahead recently and now I'm stuck again. Perhaps I need to take another break for a while then get back into it. I'd like to start hanging out with some of my Chinese friends at work since I'm ready for basic conversation (not hi how are you an actual conversation though badly.) but I don't even have time to talk to them in the hall let alone spend time with them. And I don't even go to lunch with my English speaking friends. I'm to cheap for that.
Work has been interesting the merger seems to go in fits then nothing happens for several days. I'm getting nervous about the timeline we have since we seem to only make real progress once a week or so.
My boss just got back from Hawaii. At least her body did the rest of her is still there.
Stupid Chinese tidbit of the week. In Chinese grammar you're allowed to leave out words if there is absolutely no question as to the meaning of the sentence. For instance if you ask how I am "how are you" I would say "I am fine" however (just like English) since we both know we're talking about me I can just say "fine" and everything is copasetic. Anyway I've been watching crouching tiger much lately because it's got some really simple mandarin in it. And the first scene where we meet the young prodigy the head servant asks "who are you?" Except in mandarin he just says "you" because the rest of the sentence "who are you and what are you doing in Sir Te's private study?" leaves absolutely no question. Then after her reply stating she's a guest he says something like "Ah, I'm sir Te's head servant. You?" Again with the one word sentence. Part of what makes me laugh I think is the fact that he uses the formal you (Nin) when asking this stranger who the heck they are. Yes I get way to much amusement out of such a simple thing and largely I probably like it because I can actually understand it in mandarin and I'm just so damn proud of myself but hey, it's funny.
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Stumbled over your blog--most likely because you're learning Mandarin. I, too, am trying to learn the language. It's a tough one. I also bought Crouching Tiger. Not only do I enjoy hearing the rapid Mandarin, but occasionally there will be a slip-up and Michelle Yeoh or the other character will say something in Cantonese (She offers him some tea and he says *Do jye* ... not *She she*).
You have a nice blog. I also have tons of books I need to get rid of--in case of a move. It's hard to part with them. My wife threatens to throw a match in the room and then run a bulldozer through it. *sigh*
DaveG | Email | Homepage | 06.04.04 - 9:58 am | #
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Thanks for the kind words.
I hadn't noticed any slipups yet, but my mandarin still sucks and I don't know any cantonese so I have no frame of reference. I'm still trying to learn to tell cantonese and korean apart.
I know the scene you are talking about I had thought he had said "Duo Xie" perhaps that's what was in the script but his brain translated it for him?
Have you tried half.com? My wife typically has good success there. I just heard about http://www.alibris.com/ but I haven't been there to check it out.
I hate getting rid of books. Even books I don't like. I've a fair ammount that I can't part with but I don't know what I'll do with them. I've gotten better at it but it's still hard.
Aaron | Email | Homepage | 06.08.04 - 12:58 pm | #
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