Babble about Carpet Leak (no spoilers), calls home, my spoiler gene and the heavenly stems return ..
Carpet Leak and conversations home. I was talking to Papa Koala on the phone this morning and telling him about Carpet Leak. He was like: "They photographed 700 pages????"
"Yes, complete with disembodied hand and crappy carpet."
I also told him about how German Girl II and I are arranging to meet on Saturday morning to buy our copies of book 7. The Beijing Foreign Language Bookstore phoned me the other day to tell me that books will be on sale from 7am and that if you have preordered, there's no need to queue - and there will be activites and prizes. I told her that I might show up at 6.30/7 am to take photos of Beijing Pottermania.
We were swapping mobile numbers and I said: "Although you will probably be the tallest person in the crowd of little kids". She's a very tall girl and much bigger than most Chinese people so she wrote back and said: "I could be in more need of phoning you than the other way round. You'll be lost to my eyes in the crowd of little kids". Papa Koala chortled and thought that that was hilarious.
Last night I was talking with my bro about how I tried to start reading Carpet Leak but my eyes got sore and I couldn't do it and he was like: "Look! Just wait until Saturday, ok?" :D
I have read a LOT of spoilers and all of them make me very anxious to read the book. Says in an Optimus Prime-esque voice ... "Which spoilers are true? Which are false? Some shall stand ... and some shall fall..."
I have to laugh, despite being far from home, I talk with my family very regularly. My bro and I speak almost every day by way of phone or email. Mama Koala is usually once or twice a week although this week I seem to have spoken with her every day for some reason :) Papa Koala I usually speak with almost every day whether by way of phone or email.
It's got to the point where his idea of: "I haven't heard from you in a long time" is two days without a phone call / email and "a very long time/forever" is like - a week :D In fact, New Boss walked in the other day and heard me hanging up and saying: "Bye dad!" and said: "You sure talk to your family a lot." Despite the fact that I live alone in Beijing, there is really no risk of me karking it and not being found until weeks later ... :D
My bro and I in particular have the silliest phone conversations sometimes. Anyone listening in must be going: "WTF?" as we impersonate one another on the telephone and are like: "Well yeah? Well this is how you act when you're pissed off!"
"Well yeah? Well this is you!"
:D
Spoiler Gene. I was giving Papa Koala a play by play description of the documentary 南京 Nanking this morning. He doesn't need to watch it now :D I think I inherited my Spoiler Gene from him!
I still remember when my bro emailed me once in response to a query from me requesting spoilers on a movie:
They kill [bleep] ( no big loss) and yeah, [bleep] unfortunately carks it.
Normally I wouldn’t tell someone..but..
It’s you. You can take it. Take the pain. Hnggh.
*laugh*
I was further pondering the issue of spoilers because The Spoiler Poll Position showed yet again that everyone has such different views towards it.
minisinooo said:
I've never quite got those who read the last page first with mysteries and thrillers, but that is because of how I read. If I know how a mystery or thriller ends, I rarely want to bother to read it. For me, the fun is the puzzle. If the puzzle is solved, it's no fun.
The above being representative of the majority of people I know. Definitely offline anyway. I don't think I know anyone offline except maybe my bro who is as spoiler-friendly as I am.
A lot of my offline friends will also do the: "I won't tell you for your own good". I think miss_dian sums up the position that reflects my frame of mind best:
I'm a rather risk averse person which is why I want to prepare myself for things to come. I don't really like surprises, unless they're related to presents or happy things
Yup yup.
muridae_x said:
I used to read spoilers a lot, back in ancient times when it was two years between a TV show being broadcast in the US (and discussed on ye olde internette) and it actually getting shown in the UK. I did it then, because if I was invested enough in the show and the characters I probably had something to discuss with the people who'd seen the episode anyway; spoilers were my way of keeping up with the conversation. But I did find that the anticipatory knowledge lessened my enjoyment of the show slightly when I did see it though, so I seek out a lot less spoilers nowadays.
That reminds me of when I started getting into spoilers in a big way. When I used to watch Buffy back in Australia, we were more than one season beind the US - maybe more. I don't remember exactly how many ... but I do remember that we were way way way behind the US and I was in a 28.8 dial up connection, switching to an only marginally faster 56 connection partway through. Accordingly, my 'procurement' rate for episodes was extremely ... slow. At that time, I used to read episode quotes, summaries and transcripts. Sometimes I'd print them out and have them for bed-time reading. I'd read the transcripts weeks, maybe months before I'd actually see the episodes.
For me, that never dampened my enjoyment at all. In fact, it enhanced it because I was looking for the Spike episodes so I knew which episodes he'd be in so when he didn't show up, I didn't feel all disappointed because I knew in advance that he wouldn't be there - so I didn't have to pien.
Also, reading it on the page, although I still got the benefit of the witty dialogue was quite different from watching it so I never felt as though my appreciation was impaired as a result of reading the scripts. I have to say that Buffy is one of those shows where the scripts are incredibly enjoyable to read. Not all shows have that. Some movie transcripts are totally retarded and do not work well as a purely written work, but Buffy scripts can be standalone - although of course it was always great when I got to actually see the episode.
Faux Chinese proverbs. I was talking to American Guy yesterday about how I read this:
In Ancient China there was a saying: "May you live in interesting times." It was as much a curse as anything, in much the same way as we now say: "go to hell." But sometimes the most difficult times are the most interesting and the most rewarding too.
Every time I see people refer to the Chinese phrase 'may you live in interesting times' it kind of pisses me off because there is no such Chinese saying.
In a speech in Cape Town, South Africa, on 7 June 1966, Robert F. Kennedy said, "There is a Chinese curse which says, "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times..."
The thing is, Chinese people have only ever heard this phrase from Americans. As I read somewhere online: If it is of Chinese origin, it has somehow escaped the literature, although it may be a paraphrase of a liberal translation from a Chinese source, and therefore unrecognisable when translated back to Chinese. It might be related to the Chinese proverb, 'It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period.'"
Wikipedia also doesn't establish a Chinese link.
American Guy wrote back and said: "Yes, I think Confucius is the most misquoted person in the history of time, except maybe God. "
*laugh*
The Return of the Heavenly Stems. A while back, I wrote a post called I am feeling profoundly annoyed by the heavenly stems.
The problem was yesterday, I had to work on a document for S and for a variety of reasons, we weren't able to use the names of the companies. Nor could we say things like 'buyer/seller', or 'Chinese company/foreign company'.
I looked at him and sighed. "Are you saying we have to use the heavenly stems?"
He laughed and said: "Party A, Party B may work here ..."
"I hate the heavenly stems!"
So I went back to my desk and copied and pasted my earlier post on the heavenly stems and sent it to him.
He wrote back and said: "Wow. A lot of things I didn't know... If I say I'm born in the year 戊午, can you guess how old I am?"
I wrote: "Hmmm. Looks like you are not born yet!!: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/NewYearDays.htm"
He wrote back and said: "The problem is that 1900 is not the beginning year of a Sexagesimal cycle so green wood doesn't correspond with 戊. If you use the table in your email below you will see earth corresponds with 戊. You didn't know the 12 Earthly branches so you couldn't have know which animal corresponds with 午. That is far too difficult for an Australian. It's already amazing you know so much about it. I didn't know colour has anything to do with the five elements. Interesting learning process."
When I sent him the document, I labelled it:
"Second Equity Transfer Agreement - The Heavenly Stems Remix"
Bahahahaha.
"Yes, complete with disembodied hand and crappy carpet."
I also told him about how German Girl II and I are arranging to meet on Saturday morning to buy our copies of book 7. The Beijing Foreign Language Bookstore phoned me the other day to tell me that books will be on sale from 7am and that if you have preordered, there's no need to queue - and there will be activites and prizes. I told her that I might show up at 6.30/7 am to take photos of Beijing Pottermania.
We were swapping mobile numbers and I said: "Although you will probably be the tallest person in the crowd of little kids". She's a very tall girl and much bigger than most Chinese people so she wrote back and said: "I could be in more need of phoning you than the other way round. You'll be lost to my eyes in the crowd of little kids". Papa Koala chortled and thought that that was hilarious.
Last night I was talking with my bro about how I tried to start reading Carpet Leak but my eyes got sore and I couldn't do it and he was like: "Look! Just wait until Saturday, ok?" :D
I have read a LOT of spoilers and all of them make me very anxious to read the book. Says in an Optimus Prime-esque voice ... "Which spoilers are true? Which are false? Some shall stand ... and some shall fall..."
I have to laugh, despite being far from home, I talk with my family very regularly. My bro and I speak almost every day by way of phone or email. Mama Koala is usually once or twice a week although this week I seem to have spoken with her every day for some reason :) Papa Koala I usually speak with almost every day whether by way of phone or email.
It's got to the point where his idea of: "I haven't heard from you in a long time" is two days without a phone call / email and "a very long time/forever" is like - a week :D In fact, New Boss walked in the other day and heard me hanging up and saying: "Bye dad!" and said: "You sure talk to your family a lot." Despite the fact that I live alone in Beijing, there is really no risk of me karking it and not being found until weeks later ... :D
My bro and I in particular have the silliest phone conversations sometimes. Anyone listening in must be going: "WTF?" as we impersonate one another on the telephone and are like: "Well yeah? Well this is how you act when you're pissed off!"
"Well yeah? Well this is you!"
:D
Spoiler Gene. I was giving Papa Koala a play by play description of the documentary 南京 Nanking this morning. He doesn't need to watch it now :D I think I inherited my Spoiler Gene from him!
I still remember when my bro emailed me once in response to a query from me requesting spoilers on a movie:
They kill [bleep] ( no big loss) and yeah, [bleep] unfortunately carks it.
Normally I wouldn’t tell someone..but..
It’s you. You can take it. Take the pain. Hnggh.
*laugh*
I was further pondering the issue of spoilers because The Spoiler Poll Position showed yet again that everyone has such different views towards it.
minisinooo said:
I've never quite got those who read the last page first with mysteries and thrillers, but that is because of how I read. If I know how a mystery or thriller ends, I rarely want to bother to read it. For me, the fun is the puzzle. If the puzzle is solved, it's no fun.
The above being representative of the majority of people I know. Definitely offline anyway. I don't think I know anyone offline except maybe my bro who is as spoiler-friendly as I am.
A lot of my offline friends will also do the: "I won't tell you for your own good". I think miss_dian sums up the position that reflects my frame of mind best:
I'm a rather risk averse person which is why I want to prepare myself for things to come. I don't really like surprises, unless they're related to presents or happy things
Yup yup.
muridae_x said:
I used to read spoilers a lot, back in ancient times when it was two years between a TV show being broadcast in the US (and discussed on ye olde internette) and it actually getting shown in the UK. I did it then, because if I was invested enough in the show and the characters I probably had something to discuss with the people who'd seen the episode anyway; spoilers were my way of keeping up with the conversation. But I did find that the anticipatory knowledge lessened my enjoyment of the show slightly when I did see it though, so I seek out a lot less spoilers nowadays.
That reminds me of when I started getting into spoilers in a big way. When I used to watch Buffy back in Australia, we were more than one season beind the US - maybe more. I don't remember exactly how many ... but I do remember that we were way way way behind the US and I was in a 28.8 dial up connection, switching to an only marginally faster 56 connection partway through. Accordingly, my 'procurement' rate for episodes was extremely ... slow. At that time, I used to read episode quotes, summaries and transcripts. Sometimes I'd print them out and have them for bed-time reading. I'd read the transcripts weeks, maybe months before I'd actually see the episodes.
For me, that never dampened my enjoyment at all. In fact, it enhanced it because I was looking for the Spike episodes so I knew which episodes he'd be in so when he didn't show up, I didn't feel all disappointed because I knew in advance that he wouldn't be there - so I didn't have to pien.
Also, reading it on the page, although I still got the benefit of the witty dialogue was quite different from watching it so I never felt as though my appreciation was impaired as a result of reading the scripts. I have to say that Buffy is one of those shows where the scripts are incredibly enjoyable to read. Not all shows have that. Some movie transcripts are totally retarded and do not work well as a purely written work, but Buffy scripts can be standalone - although of course it was always great when I got to actually see the episode.
Faux Chinese proverbs. I was talking to American Guy yesterday about how I read this:
In Ancient China there was a saying: "May you live in interesting times." It was as much a curse as anything, in much the same way as we now say: "go to hell." But sometimes the most difficult times are the most interesting and the most rewarding too.
Every time I see people refer to the Chinese phrase 'may you live in interesting times' it kind of pisses me off because there is no such Chinese saying.
In a speech in Cape Town, South Africa, on 7 June 1966, Robert F. Kennedy said, "There is a Chinese curse which says, "May he live in interesting times." Like it or not, we live in interesting times..."
The thing is, Chinese people have only ever heard this phrase from Americans. As I read somewhere online: If it is of Chinese origin, it has somehow escaped the literature, although it may be a paraphrase of a liberal translation from a Chinese source, and therefore unrecognisable when translated back to Chinese. It might be related to the Chinese proverb, 'It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period.'"
Wikipedia also doesn't establish a Chinese link.
American Guy wrote back and said: "Yes, I think Confucius is the most misquoted person in the history of time, except maybe God. "
*laugh*
The Return of the Heavenly Stems. A while back, I wrote a post called I am feeling profoundly annoyed by the heavenly stems.
The problem was yesterday, I had to work on a document for S and for a variety of reasons, we weren't able to use the names of the companies. Nor could we say things like 'buyer/seller', or 'Chinese company/foreign company'.
I looked at him and sighed. "Are you saying we have to use the heavenly stems?"
He laughed and said: "Party A, Party B may work here ..."
"I hate the heavenly stems!"
So I went back to my desk and copied and pasted my earlier post on the heavenly stems and sent it to him.
He wrote back and said: "Wow. A lot of things I didn't know... If I say I'm born in the year 戊午, can you guess how old I am?"
I wrote: "Hmmm. Looks like you are not born yet!!: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/NewYearDays.htm"
He wrote back and said: "The problem is that 1900 is not the beginning year of a Sexagesimal cycle so green wood doesn't correspond with 戊. If you use the table in your email below you will see earth corresponds with 戊. You didn't know the 12 Earthly branches so you couldn't have know which animal corresponds with 午. That is far too difficult for an Australian. It's already amazing you know so much about it. I didn't know colour has anything to do with the five elements. Interesting learning process."
When I sent him the document, I labelled it:
"Second Equity Transfer Agreement - The Heavenly Stems Remix"
Bahahahaha.