Posted by Andrew
I’m going to do it. Specifically, I am going to 搬家 (move) to the 珍珠三角洲 (Pearl River Delta) to the 经济特区 (Special Economic Zone) city of 深圳 (Shenzhen)- a city where you can get from the Mainland to Hong Kong by 铁路 (railroad), foot, boat, or helicopter, leaving your passport cluttered with 入境章 (entry stamps). Shenzhen is unique in that it is made up largely of 外地人 (out-of-towners), and it was also the first place to test the ideas of 股市 (stock market) and 彩票 (lottery) before they expanded to other parts of China. Owing to its proximity to Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a very 开放 (open) city, and I hope the move goes smoothly!
搬家 ban1jia1 - move/relocate
珍珠三角洲 zhen1zhu1san1jiao3zhou1 - Pearl River Delta
经济特区 jing1ji4te4qu1- Special Economic Zone
深圳 shen1zhen4 - Shenzhen
铁路 tie3lu4 - railroad
入境章 ru4jing4zhang1 - entry stamp (of a passport)
外地人 wai4di4ren2 - people from outside a particular area, outsiders/out-of-towners
股市 gu3shi4 - stock market
彩票 cai3piao4 - lottery
开放 kai1fang - open
Posted by Andrew
Yesterday I was watching a movie about casinos which prompted me to go to the bookstore and read more. It was at the bookstore that I met a fellow from 阿富汗 (Afghanistan) who grew up in 伦敦 (London)and whose ancestors were 波斯人 (Persian) and also happened to be descended from the notable 诗人 (poet) Rumi. We went to a nearby McDonalds and discussed 商机 (business opportunities) , 心理学 (psychology) , and 经典文学作品 (classic literary works) for several hours. On the subway on the way home, I noticed more signs of 3G’s 普及 (spread) in China. There will be some interesting changes around the corner once the 框架 (framework) is fully rolled out.
阿富汗 a1fu4han4 - Afghanistan
伦敦 lun2dun1 - London
波斯 bo1si1 - Persia
诗人 shi1ren2 - poet
商机 shang1ji1 - business opportunity(opportunities)
心理学 xin1li3xue2 - psychology
经典 jing1dian3 - classic
文学作品 wen2xue2zuo4pin3 - literary works
普及 pu3ji2 - spread
框架 kuang4jia4 - framework
Posted by Andrew
Today I am going to go with a 校友 (schoolmate) to be photographed for an advertisement. They are looking for foreign 面孔 (faces) to shoot using a new 泡脚 (foot washing) machine. The photographer said he was looking for 金发碧眼 (blond hair and blue eyes) , and would provide 报酬 (compensation) to cover expenses. This 摄影师 (photographer) would only take a couple of 镜头 (shots) , some 室内 (indoor) and some 室外 (outdoor). At the end, I think that me and my friend may stand a chance to 小有名气 (be famous).
校友 xiao4you3 - schoolmate
面孔 mian4kong3 - face
泡脚 pao4jiao3 - footwashing
金发 jin1fa1 - blond hair
碧眼 bi4yan3 - blue eyes
报酬 bao4chou2 - compensation
摄影师 she4ying3shi1 - photographer
镜头 jing4tou2 - shots (also lens)
室内 shi3nei4 - indoor
室外 shi3wai4 - outdoor
小有名气 xiao2(3)you3ming2qi4
Posted by Andrew
Hello Readers!
Today’s post is about contracts in China. If you get a contract, you need to find a 律师 (lawyer) immediately to 审核 (review) every single 条款 (clause) present. This is for you and your employer, as you can 避免 (avoid) potential 不良后果 (negative consequences) and 误会 (misunderstandings) which could 导致 (cause) you to have people say that your work 态度不积极 (attitude isn’t positive). Also, you need to make sure that you can 保护 (protect) all of your 合法权益 (legal rights). If you can do this, you’re on your way to a mutually equitable contract.
律师 lv4shi1 - lawyer
审核 shen3he2 - review
条款 tiao2kuan3 - clause
避免 bi4mian3 - avoid
误会 - wu4hui4 - misunderstanding
不良后果 bu4liang2hou4guo3 - negative consequences
导致 dao3zhi4 - to cause (used in negative situations)
态度不积极 tai4du4 bu4 ji1ji2 - attitude not positive
保护 bao3hu4 - protect
合法 he2fa3 - legal
权益 quan2yi4 - rights and welfare
Posted by Andrew
Today I was charging my MP3 player as I prepared to go to the gym. This one was an 二手 (second hand) one, not purchased from 国美 (Gome) or 苏宁 (Suning). So I continued to 充电 (charge) through my computer’s USB 接口 (port) until I’m satisfied that the 电池 (batteries) are charged. I must add that I enjoy the idea of being able to charge it through its 数据线 (data cable) without a need to 安装 (install) any special software. When I turned it on, its 灯 (light) began to 亮 (light up)and display alternating colors. This was not a good sign, as was confirmed when I researched the problem online. It may be time to get a new one - off to Gome and Suning!
二手 er4shou - second-hand
国美 guo2mei3 - Gome Electronics- a popular chain in China
苏宁 su1ning2- Suning Electronics - another popular chain in China
充电 chong1dian4 - charging (to be used for electronics)
接口 jie1kou3 - port
电池 dian4chi3 - batteries
数据线 shu4ju4xian4 - data cable
安装 an1zhuang1 - install
灯 deng1 - light
亮 liang4 - to light up
