Just another American living in Shanghai. This is my big return to the land of rice wine and hot pot. Looking forward to sharing what Shanghai, and China more generally, is like as experienced in real time.
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Idiom of the Week
龙年吉样
long(2)nian(2)ji(4)yang(2)For those of you not familiar with Chinese Idioms, or Chengyu, they usually come in groups of four characters. These characters are associated with a larger story or cultural context that often helps to understand how one might use it in conversation (and it isn't easy!!).
This week's Chengyu is special for the Chinese New Year and you will only get to use it once every twelve years, so after this week you'll need to tuck this away somewhere for 2024. This four character phrase is used to express your hopes and wishes for others in the New Year, in particular, that they be lucky.
我想祝大家，”龙年吉样.“
I wish everyone a lucky and auspicious year of the Dragon!
Interesting Chinese
Chinese is a remarkably flexible language; new words, new phrases, and reinventions of old characters are par for the course. Take these for example:
梅雨季节 - mei(2)yu(3)ji(4)jie(2)
Plum Rain Season: This isn't a new word，but it is new to me. The lower Yangtze Delta area has a rainy season every year called the "Plum Rain Season." It is characterized by heavy downpours every few hours most days, interspersed with scorchingly hot, humid days in between. I now have two umbrellas at work and two at home because I never know when the skies will unleash. It was originally called the plum rain season because it coincides with the harvest of plums each year.
冷都男 － leng(3)du(1)nan(2)
"One Cool Dude" -- this term originally referred to Korean soap opera stars: the heart throbs to young Chinese girls and their moms. It signifies a guy with a good background, job, and a face that is charming, but tough to read.
色情短信接受者 － se(4)qing(1)duan(3)xin(4)jie(1)shou(2)zhe(1)
With all the scandalous talk about Rep. Anthony Weiner in the states, the Chinese came up with this new word to describe the "sextee" who is the recipient of elicit "sexts." Let's hope that all future sextees are willing sextees.
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nice blog ryan!
I am about to take the OA. Is there any way to email or contact you to ask some questions about your experience???
Scott
Hello, my name is Jordan, and I am a freshman at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virgina. I have a real passionate interest in the Foreign Service. Is it possible to get in contact via email to share any thoughts, advice, and anything else noteworthy?
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Best,
Jordan
Jordan,
Nice to hear from you! Sorry to get back to you just now; it has been a busy few weeks in Shanghai for me. You can contact me at ryan.mckean@gmail.com