While swear words are some people’s introduction to a new language, I will never be caught dead swearing even if it’s for educational purpose. However, a comment in today’s ChinesePod lesson (about dogs http://chinesepod.com/lessons/afraid-of-… was so mind boggling that I have to share in written form.
A user wanted to confirm if 狗屁/gou3 pi4, literal meaning ’dog fart’ is the equivalent of ‘BS’. Yes, it is. I’ve never noticed that, probably because I don’t use either often. But how funny and uncanny that the two languages use different forms of animal wastes to describe a common human behavior.
After much procrastination, I’ve finally put my HD camcorder ( image still a bit blurry though) and very amateur editing skills into use. In the second episode of Jenny’s China, we look at the triumph, excitement, competition, and hassle that make up the full Olympic experience.
Fully aware this is an incredibly one-sided argument, I dare to say that a key reason is they charge for food and drinks. While this has become a standard practice for airlines in North America and Europe, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of Chinese passengers. 礼/li3 or hospitality is a cornerstone of our culture. That’s why most Chinese airlines still serve food and drinks, albeit substandard. But this is exactly the point. Chinese sensibilities cherish gestures over substance.
All this crystallised during a recent flight to Hongkong. I bought heavily discounted tickets. And I expected peanuts and drinks only. But surprise! We were served semi-proper breakfast, a choice of Western and Chinese. It even ended on a sweet note with an ice cream cone. In a time when airlines charge for fuel, luggage and maybe even toilet paper, the offer of a meal is heartwarming for the passenger. How much does an economy class meal really cost? Cheap as chips. Serve meals and bill the passenger in the ticket fare since it reflects very little in the overall price anyway. But it can create far reaching customer appreciation.
My grandma, whenever someone pays her a visit would always always offer the guest to stay for a home cooked meal, without ever meaning it. And mutual tacit understanding forbids the guest to actually say yes to her hypothetic offer. But that’s called PROPER in Chinese culture.
Clay (ChinesePod’s product manager, once a minor league baseball player) once asked me which sport was more popular in China: basketball or soccer. It’s a question that you can never find a precise answer to. But very timely are the 2008 NBA finals and Euro 2008, both broadcast live in China, and have a firm and fast growing fan base. Typing in 2008 NBA 决赛/jue2 sai4/final on google.cn, you get just over a million results. 2008 欧洲杯/ou1 zhou1 bei1/ Euro Cup returned an astounding result of close to 7 million.
Soccer does seem to have a wider appeal across generations, enthusing grandpas and primary school boys. Chinese TV stations broadcast live games of the 4 major European leagues every week. And the government sanctioned soccer lottery also includes betting on those games. Basketball, or shall we say the NBA by comparison has most of its fans in young Chinese, although middle aged men such as my dad enjoy a good game too. Yao Ming still draw weighty attention, but we get equally hyped up if not more by Kobe or Lebron.
Many would attest that watching the NBA and Euro Cup are worth skipping school or work for. Or staying up late for a Euro Cup match is like partying to 3 in the morning on a Friday night. So in some ways, one benefit of the Beijing Olympics is that we can finally see a topnotch game in a civilised hour.
With the recent rise of anti-Western populism, soccer and basketball seem to be the only 2 safe territories where one can declare unambiguous love for the West. A good game is a good game.
First of all, thank you all the Canadian poddies for your welcome messages. Despite a 15-hour jetlag, I am enjoying Vancouver tremendously.
So far, I’ve been enchanted by the pristine blue sky and cotton candy like clouds. It’s like what you see in the opening credits of the Simpsons. If you ever see someone sky watching with morbid fascination, that’s probably me.
I am living with a friend in the suburbs. We\ve been driving around to the city and along the way, there’s a lot of modest looking shops and restaurants, which look quite run down. But once you step in, great adventure begings. You find authentic food from different parts of the world and unique local produce. A stark contrast with the excessively promising exterior of shops in China, the substance of which often leaves you in disappointment.
And lastly, I\ve finally had a taste of suburban horror. Gotta run now.Till next time, take care!
The finding is that most see it as a ‘quiet’, ‘friendly’ place suited for immigration and retirement. But overall, Canada has a bland and even dull image in China.
However, Canada is home to two beloved foreigners in China. Norman Bethune, or 白求恩/bai2 qiu2 en1, a surgeon who came to China and helped to treat wounded Communist troops in the 1930′s. And 大山/Dashan ( Mark Rowswell), who has a daunting command of Chinese and was the first ’sinophile’ known to the general public.
Most Chinese don’t know the down to earth, even self-deprecating attitude of Canadians. Nor do we get the sacred popularity of hockey.
All these I shall experience when I leave for Canada today. A much anticipated trip.
There have been access problems with the video on youtube. It might say ‘no longer available’. It’s working now, but in case it behaves erratically again, try:
Xiexie!
Jenny Zhu’s China is a visual commentary on the fascinating facets of Chinese culture and society. Each episode fatures a selection of videos showcasing an interesting aspect of China, everything from news to user generated content. Thanks to Aric Queen for helping me shoot and being the observing friend on the pilot. Like the lighting, there is a lot of room for improvement. I deeply appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!
In this episode:
1. Dancing in the park
2. Potato chips—the family glue
3. Journey to West: a Chinese animation from the 1950′s
