Living in faraway countries as I do most of the time these days, I'm begining to feel an ever increasing sense of shame at my complete lack of foreign language skills...
So I decided today to change all that starting with a 5 minute crash course in Chinese as follows:
English
Chinese
That's not right
Sum Ting Wong
Are you harboring a fugitive?
Hu Yu Hai Ding
See me ASAP
Kum Hia Nao
Stupid Man
Dum Fuk
Small Horse
Tai Ni Po Ni
Did you go to the beach?
Wai Yu So Tan
I bumped into a coffee table
Ai Bang Mai Fu Kin Ni
I think you need a face lift
Chin Tu Fat
It's very dark in here
Wai So Dim
I thought you were on a diet
Wai Yu Mun Ching
This is a tow away zone
No Pah King
Our meeting is scheduled next week
Wai Yu Kum Nao
Staying out of sight
Lei Ying Lo
He's cleaning his automobile
Wa Shing Ka
Your body odor is offensive
Yu Stin Ki Pu
Great
Fa Kin
Well I tried these newly learned phrases on my Chinese colleagues at the office and, well, I don't know if I'm doing it right because I seem to be getting the 'stupid man' expression on their faces (see Chinese equivalent above). Uhm... maybe I'm not pronouncing the tones right!?
Anyway, I did find a really useful online website for a crash course learning of the Chinese lingo >> Learn Real Chinese The good old BBC for you eh!
If only the BBC would do something on learning Vietnamese. I mean... I've no excuse for NOT learning the Vietnamese Lingo being that I have a Vietnamese wife. My Dear has promised me lessons but I'm still waiting... or I've been procrastinating... or something...
SO WHAT"S SPURRED THIS LAZY ENGLISHMAN TO HAVE A CRACK AT LEARNING THE LINGO?
Well if you really wanna know... It's that bloody blog by >> JOE – or is that Joe Blog – Eh? Oh nevermind! This hunk of a guy must be real sexy to the Vietnamese <
Me? Jealous… Oh no not jealous Dear… just, well somewhere in between one of these expressions…> because he gets several hundred comments per blog he writes – not withstanding he’s only written 25 blog entries to date. About what exactly I’m not sure… I asked my Dear, being that she’s fluent in the “Spectacular Vietnamese Vernacular” and she said… “oh nothing much Darling; why are you jealous!?” I googled the length and breath of the cyberworld this morning and found what I think maybe the answer to my problem and I’ve decided to myself>> “Em Hoc Tieng Viet” – Let’s learn Vietnamese – with this interesting website dedicated to providing quality teaching material for learning Vietnamese for FREE online.
I also found two other reasonably useful websites for learning Vietnamese:
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/vietnamese/VNLanguage/SupportNS/tableofcontent.htm
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/culture/studyvn/index.htm
I have to say that my heart has yearned
To say to the one who has learned
from a charming Xe Om
And I’ll say oh… uhm…
Yes dear Joe
I’m gonna blow
All of my most Spectacular
In the Vietnamese Vernacular.
p.s. And here’s one for anyone who fancies themselves to make an impression on a visit to Sapa - Among the beautiful H’mong >> “Learning H’Mong” in just 30 quick lessons.
My loyal (and soon to be growing in numbers?) friends please help yourself to a slice of fresh cream cake on your way out -
Urhhhg - I feel so full now...
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Learning the Lingo for the love of Joe!
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
More Sad News
-
On behalf of Moon, I'm really very sorry to have to let you know that her 77 years old maternal grandmother passed away this morning, also from cancer.
Moon was especially close to her grandmother, who had shown a lot of kindness and love to her during her life. This is a very difficult time for her particularly made more so by the fact that she cannot come back in time to Hanoi to make the funeral which will take place on Friday morning. In strange irony this is the same day as my sister's funeral here in the UK.
When Moon and I visited her in Vietnam on several occasions, she always showed much kindness, shared very caring words and never failed to wish the best for our lives together. Moon's grandmother was in our eyes a really very special person indeed.
We will miss her very deeply.
I'm sorry to have to write on such a sad subject but these events happen and cannot be avoided. I'm sure that next week as we return to Shanghai and attempt to return to our normal everyday life, I will find heartier and happier things to blog about.
When you love s.o, you don't think some day, she will leave you forever. But when that day comes, you don't believe the truth, you wish it's a nightmare, and you even think she's still by your side.It's so hard to accept the truth. But she always in your heart, you love her, and she alway loves you.
Thanking all of you above for your kind words and support.
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 07:37AM (GMT)Friday, November 3, 2006
Family Bereavement
My elder sister passed away peacefuly on Thursday after a long struggle with breast cancer.
Moon and I are traveling back to the UK this morning and we will be staying for a week or so before coming back to Shanghai.
In the meantime, we just want to say thank you to all our Yahoo friends for all your support.
I'm sorry to hear this. Bless you.
Sunday 5 November 2006 - 10:49PM (CST)
Comments from Yahoo 360
(17 total)Oh no, now you are one of Joe's victims. hmmm.....
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 03:58PM (ICT)
Ah now Rosie... is it Victim or Victor? :-)
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 09:03AM (GMT)
hey Phil, I'll just have the cake.!!!
Not very pedaguoge-ish??(word) me lol xxx hugz to you all
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 11:11AM (GMT)
Very clever language lesson, and wonderful cake! Looking forward to your next party! Hugs
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 06:02AM (CST)
Annwyl - you're always welcome to my cakes. I make them especially for friends like you [wink]. As for your pedagoge-ish skills, I'm always ready to learn from a good friend as you. Donna - happy I am that you enjoyed a moment of peculiar vernaculars and I hope you'll always abound in the genorosity of my lovely cakes...
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 02:11PM (GMT)
Great to see you back, Phil. A very nice blog here. I really the cake!
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 08:23AM (CST)
Thanks Nguyen and I'm glad you really like/love the cake! I'll make sure to make some more for next time!
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 02:28PM (GMT)
thainx 4 the breakfast, now can i have the recipe... unfortunately i forgot 2 get enuf 2 share & the demands R high here in bachelor/bachelorette land... O and as far as my Chinese goes... i learn one word @ a time via the age old fortune cookie!
Tuesday 14 November 2006 - 09:11AM (CST)
ohhhhh....Joe...I like this guy! ( and the food too)
Thursday 16 November 2006 - 03:33PM (ICT)
It seems that you can't take advance in learning Vietnamese with your "long-hair dictionary", enjoy your online Vietnamese course. BBC has English learning for Vietnamese, why they dont have Vietnamese learning?! I like the cake, too :)
Monday 20 November 2006 - 04:06PM (ICT)
Umh... I'm wondering how many people will realize your translations from English to Chinese are false? ;-)
Monday 20 November 2006 - 09:22AM (GMT)
I saw this guy as MC in a music show for APEC guests but I havent know his Vietnamese so good... Dont be jealous with him, Phil, even this can encourage you to learn Vietnamese :). If you can read comments in his blog, you would know that many of them were not praises, said this guy is boasting too much about himselt, and his point of views are a bit negative about Vietnam! Of course, we cant deny he is a famous person in bloggers already, his 292 friends welcome his entries everyday, but a lot comments are nonsense :). But I have to say that I like this guy with his humor and sharpness...
Tuesday 21 November 2006 - 10:36AM (ICT)
Joe's an inspiration and his achievements have in fact encouraged me to make a more concerted effort to improve my Vietnamese. I'm quite sure I will never attain his standard and I'm sure it will take me a long time. I'm patient and eventually I will achieve a standard that is worthwhile.
I would hazard a guess that if Joe's being critical at times about Vietnam, then that's not a bad thing if he is trying to help and encourage Vietnam and her people to achieve greater success for the nation.
Meanwhile I'll just concentrate on learning how to pronounce the Kh- sound correctly. [wink]
Tuesday 21 November 2006 - 06:47AM (GMT)
can you teach me anymore chinese?
i think im picking it up really quickly!! LMAO
xx kiss xx
Wednesday 22 November 2006 - 08:57PM (GMT)
Love the language lesson. Kind of like people trying to speak Spanish here in Texas. No speako el Spanisho! LOL
Hey, don't feel too bad, I have lived here all my life...took Spanish in elementary school, high school and maybe even college (can't really remember college...another story!) and I still can't speak it well enough to get by!
P.S. So sorry to hear about the family passings. My grandparents, parents, most of my aunts and uncles, and one brother are all gone. It sucks.
Thursday 23 November 2006 - 12:58AM (CST)
Good for you Phil. I felt the same but the irony is not here in sydney but back in India. In India there are 18 official languages and I used to work in a city whose language is alien to me. So, guess I feel more comfortable living in a foreign country than in India (atleast in terms of language).
Cheers!
Sunday 26 November 2006 - 09:51PM (EST)
Wai Yu Mun Ching ??
Because this Cream cake is so very Philling.
Saturday 2 December 2006 - 07:59PM (CST)