Comments on: Loving Beijing http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/ Chinese, Linguistics, Science, Cultural Observations and whatever else I feel like writing about Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:57:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Lan http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-12929 Lan Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:56:22 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-12929 Hi! When I left my first comment on your website, I was wrong thinking that you have never been in Beijing. Well, I'm in Beijing. So happy that you liked our city. It<i> is</i> fascinating. Once you are here, you might not want to go live in another Chinese city. BTW, I'm a Chinese girl. I love English. But I'm equally crazy about our Chinese. Very proud of our own language and culture! Wish you success in learning Chinese! Welcome to Beijing again! It's the second time that I have come across your blog totally by accident. Like your casual writing style! Keep up your good work for your website! Hi! When I left my first comment on your website, I was wrong thinking that you have never been in Beijing. Well, I’m in Beijing. So happy that you liked our city. It is fascinating. Once you are here, you might not want to go live in another Chinese city. BTW, I’m a Chinese girl. I love English. But I’m equally crazy about our Chinese. Very proud of our own language and culture! Wish you success in learning Chinese! Welcome to Beijing again!

It’s the second time that I have come across your blog totally by accident. Like your casual writing style! Keep up your good work for your website!

]]> By: Jeanne http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-9043 Jeanne Fri, 27 Oct 2006 01:15:55 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-9043 Actually, I was born in Tainan and went to Toronto,Canada when I was five years old. I was fluent in Mandarin at that time but not anymore. When I'm in Taiwan I'm usually in Tainan and it happens(people using Mandarin with me when I speak Taiwanese to them)there too. I also think Taipei is so different from other cities in Taiwan. If I have to live in Taiwan it would not be Taipei..I think Taipei is crazy. I like Tainan and I wish Taiwanese people would speak more Taiwanese...it's a very nice language I like it better than Mandarin. Actually, I was born in Tainan and went to Toronto,Canada when I was five years old. I was fluent in Mandarin at that time but not anymore. When I’m in Taiwan I’m usually in Tainan and it happens(people using Mandarin with me when I speak Taiwanese to them)there too. I also think Taipei is so different from other cities in Taiwan. If I have to live in Taiwan it would not be Taipei..I think Taipei is crazy. I like Tainan and I wish Taiwanese people would speak more Taiwanese…it’s a very nice language I like it better than Mandarin.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-8176 Mark Mon, 09 Oct 2006 11:21:10 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-8176 Hello, Jeanne. At the time I wrote that, I was living in Guishan (龜山), which is in Taoyuan county. I'd also lived in Jiayi (嘉義). I just recently moved back to Taibei (台北). I really was comparing Beijing with everywhere I've lived in Taiwan, not just the capitol city. For issues such as resources for Chinese students, cultural events, and internationalization, the rest of Taiwan is even further behind Beijing than Taibei is. Jiayi has some really good biking, though. I wrote a bit about that <a href="http://toshuo.com/chinese/?p=5" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">on my Chinese blog</a>, if you're interested. One of my good friends in the states was a Taiwanese guy who moved there in grade school. We went to the same middle school and high school. Anyway, he speaks Taiwanese fluently, but his Mandarin is pretty weak. When he and I went out last time he visited, I'd talk to people in Mandarin and he'd talk to them in Taiwanese and they just kept trying to use Mandarin with him. I don't think it's because he seemed foreign, though. I think it's mostly about age. People here just assume that you MUST speak Mandarin if you're in your twenties (as long as you look Asian). Oh, yeah. We were in the north, too. I'll bet if you went to Tainan, people would gladly answer you in Taiwanese. Hello, Jeanne. At the time I wrote that, I was living in Guishan (龜山), which is in Taoyuan county. I’d also lived in Jiayi (嘉義). I just recently moved back to Taibei (台北). I really was comparing Beijing with everywhere I’ve lived in Taiwan, not just the capitol city. For issues such as resources for Chinese students, cultural events, and internationalization, the rest of Taiwan is even further behind Beijing than Taibei is. Jiayi has some really good biking, though. I wrote a bit about that on my Chinese blog, if you’re interested.

One of my good friends in the states was a Taiwanese guy who moved there in grade school. We went to the same middle school and high school. Anyway, he speaks Taiwanese fluently, but his Mandarin is pretty weak. When he and I went out last time he visited, I’d talk to people in Mandarin and he’d talk to them in Taiwanese and they just kept trying to use Mandarin with him. I don’t think it’s because he seemed foreign, though. I think it’s mostly about age. People here just assume that you MUST speak Mandarin if you’re in your twenties (as long as you look Asian). Oh, yeah. We were in the north, too. I’ll bet if you went to Tainan, people would gladly answer you in Taiwanese.

]]> By: Jeanne http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-8121 Jeanne Mon, 09 Oct 2006 04:11:48 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-8121 You're talking about Beijing and Taiwan but I think you're really talking about Beijing and Taipei and hello...Taipei is not Taiwan. I am a Taiwanese-Canadian, I can speak the Taiwanese dialect but not much Mandarin. When I speak Taiwanese people will always answer in Mandarin which was frustrating. However, I've watch my Aunt speak Taiwanese to strangers and they will answer in Taiwanese. I think it's b/c people have a sense that I'm not from there. You’re talking about Beijing and Taiwan but I think you’re really talking about Beijing and Taipei and hello…Taipei is not Taiwan. I am a Taiwanese-Canadian, I can speak the Taiwanese dialect but not much Mandarin. When I speak Taiwanese people will always answer in Mandarin which was frustrating. However, I’ve watch my Aunt speak Taiwanese to strangers and they will answer in Taiwanese. I think it’s b/c people have a sense that I’m not from there.

]]> By: David on Formosa (beta) » Learning Mandarin in Taiwan http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-6255 David on Formosa (beta) » Learning Mandarin in Taiwan Sun, 27 Aug 2006 01:45:43 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-6255 [...] There is also the issue of learning materials. Most schools in Taiwan use the same textbook and the amount of textbooks and other supplementary learning materials available in Taiwan is quite limited. Mark of the blog Doubting to shuo recently visited Beijing. He commented about availability of a large range Chinese learning materials in China. The other thing that struck me about the bookstore is how much they had in terms of books for foreigners learning Chinese. In the town I live in, in Taiwan, there aren’t any books for teaching Chinese to foreigners. Even in Taibei, the large bookstores grudgingly devote one or two rows on a single shelf to books for foreigners CSL. This book store must have had about 50 shelves devoted to learning Chinese for foreigners. There were text books for English speakers, text books for German Speakers, text books for Korean speakers, text books for speakers of half a dozen other languages, books full of idioms and slang, hundreds of HSK prep books, books on various Chinese dialects, video collections… the resources seemed endless. I can only fantasize about living somewhere with such a cornucopia of Chinese learning materials. [...] [...] There is also the issue of learning materials. Most schools in Taiwan use the same textbook and the amount of textbooks and other supplementary learning materials available in Taiwan is quite limited. Mark of the blog Doubting to shuo recently visited Beijing. He commented about availability of a large range Chinese learning materials in China. The other thing that struck me about the bookstore is how much they had in terms of books for foreigners learning Chinese. In the town I live in, in Taiwan, there aren’t any books for teaching Chinese to foreigners. Even in Taibei, the large bookstores grudgingly devote one or two rows on a single shelf to books for foreigners CSL. This book store must have had about 50 shelves devoted to learning Chinese for foreigners. There were text books for English speakers, text books for German Speakers, text books for Korean speakers, text books for speakers of half a dozen other languages, books full of idioms and slang, hundreds of HSK prep books, books on various Chinese dialects, video collections… the resources seemed endless. I can only fantasize about living somewhere with such a cornucopia of Chinese learning materials. [...]

]]> By: schtickyrice http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-5904 schtickyrice Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:46:27 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-5904 The food stall in the photo had a halal (qingzhen) certification,in both Chinese and Arabic. Muslim food is an integral part of the Beijing snack scene, from lamb kebabs to sweets like wandouhuang. Many old well known restaurants such as Donglaishun, famous for its shuanyangrou charcoal fired copper hotpots, are halal establishments. The food stall in the photo had a halal (qingzhen) certification,in both Chinese and Arabic. Muslim food is an integral part of the Beijing snack scene, from lamb kebabs to sweets like wandouhuang. Many old well known restaurants such as Donglaishun, famous for its shuanyangrou charcoal fired copper hotpots, are halal establishments.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-4754 Mark Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:13:31 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-4754 I think you overstated my position a bit on Forumosa, but no problem. I like Taiwan in general. There are a few frustrations, but I'm used to them, and I do have some idea of how to avoid them. I just felt like it was especially nice in Beijing. I think you overstated my position a bit on Forumosa, but no problem. I like Taiwan in general. There are a few frustrations, but I’m used to them, and I do have some idea of how to avoid them. I just felt like it was especially nice in Beijing.

]]> By: Roddy http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-4737 Roddy Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:54:24 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-4737 Thread's up <a href="http://www.chinese-forums.com/showthread.php?t=11715" rel="nofollow">here</a> at Chinese-forums.com, and have also bumped you out of the 'new' member group so you can post to your heart's content. Thread’s up here at Chinese-forums.com, and have also bumped you out of the ‘new’ member group so you can post to your heart’s content.

]]> By: Prince Roy http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-4736 Prince Roy Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:12:08 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-4736 OK, <a href="http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=51864" rel="nofollow">done</a> and done (at chinese-forums I posted it in the Society Forum and it awaits moderator approval). Hope it gets a good run. Sorry if you feel this has gotten off topic. You brought up the comparison with Taiwan, and I thought it was only fair to respond. No one is telling you how to live your life in Taiwan, either, just trying to help. No offense intended. OK, done and done (at chinese-forums I posted it in the Society Forum and it awaits moderator approval). Hope it gets a good run.

Sorry if you feel this has gotten off topic. You brought up the comparison with Taiwan, and I thought it was only fair to respond. No one is telling you how to live your life in Taiwan, either, just trying to help. No offense intended.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/comment-page-1/#comment-4731 Mark Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:27:02 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/loving-beijing/#comment-4731 I like your idea of a Forumosa thread, but I think they'd be a self selected group of those who've decided to stay in Taiwan. Maybe a thread on Chinese-forums.com asking how people think Taiwan compares to the mainland when it comes to this issue would draw replies from a broader group of people. More than anything I'd rather not have the thread here. I meant this post to be about what I love about Beijing, not about how I should be living my life in Taiwan. I like your idea of a Forumosa thread, but I think they’d be a self selected group of those who’ve decided to stay in Taiwan. Maybe a thread on Chinese-forums.com asking how people think Taiwan compares to the mainland when it comes to this issue would draw replies from a broader group of people.

More than anything I’d rather not have the thread here. I meant this post to be about what I love about Beijing, not about how I should be living my life in Taiwan.

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