VIP Class Notes (Lily)[S]

Pronunciation

i= trick, brick, prick
ea= treat, breach, preach
for= four
one= wan. not wen
to= two= too *letter u sound* no 吐
him, him, brim, trim, Tim, limb, win, his
answer= 安sir not ONsir
obvious= O vee yes
only= ong lee李
hang out=h 安 gout

Vocabulary

1. contacts (noun) = what you put in your eyes to see better 隐形眼镜
ex: I can’t see anything without my contacts.
ex: Yannis doesn’t need to wear contacts anymore, she did the eye surgery.

2.random= pick anyone/ anything 随机,任意
ex: Pick a random number from 1-100. “9”
ex: “let’s go eat Indian food!” “Why? That’s random….”

3. direct= do not hide feelings 直接
ex: She is a very direct girl, if she doesn’t like you, she will tell you right away.
ex: I want to be a direct person, because I am tired of coping with everyone.

4.bargain= 还价
ex: You MUST bargain when you shop at QIPU road.

5. target= goal 目标
ex: Lily’s target this year is to save 40,000 rmb to do the eye surgery.
ex: Yannis’ target this year is go to Japan for two week.

6. being used= when people use you for something 被利用
ex: I felt used when my friend kept asking me to translate things for her.
ex: Many people ask me to design things for them for free, I feel used.

7.make good money= make a lot of money $$$$
ex: Freelance designers can make good money. (2D/3D)
ex: Education related jobs can make good money.

8. salary= how much you get paid for the job 工资
ex: Linda wishes she could have a higher salary. 
ex: Most of my salary goes to Jack Ma (Taobao).

9. embarrassing= feel like you don’t how what to do, a little shy  尴尬
ex: When my friend and my ex-boyfriend started dating and asked me to go to dinner together, it was very embarrassing for me.

10. ripped off= overpaid for something 被坑 被宰
ex: He bought a fake Adidas shirt for 200 yuan, he got ripped off.

Reading

Bunny plays a trick. Bunny Rabbit lived in big hole under a tree. He lived with his mother. One day Bunny said”Now I am a big rabbit, I must have my own home”. Mother Rabbit said “yes Rabbit, you are  a big rabbit now, you can make it over there under that big tree.” Bunny rabbit began to dig. Soon he had made a big hole for his new house. It had a front door and a back door. Bunny could go in the front door and come out the back door.

One fine morning, Bunny rabbit sat in his own front door. He said “I must get some dinner, I am as hungry as I can be.” So he went down the road to find something to eat. Hop hop hop he went. All at once, he saw a big dog. I must run home. Away ran Bunny Rabbit. Soon bunny was at his front door. In he went, the dog began to dig at the door, but Bunny ran out the back door, and the dog did not find him.

Reading

https://www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/6-Things-for-Chinese-People-to-Avoid-When-Making-Friends-with-Foreigners

1. Don’t ask if you can be friends

This kind of directness when applied to friendship seems weird to foreigners and is too much of an initial commitment before we get to know you. That kind of candor can scare the laowai away, as friendship to us is not something that you vocally agree on, but rather something that is built over time.

2. Don’t ask if you can practice your English with us

This kind of transactional-like approach can simply make your target feel like they’re being used. Remember that foreigners in China can make good money giving simple conversation classes, so most will see no benefit in chatting with you simply so you can improve your English. Ask if they want to have a coffee or a drink sometime instead. You’ll still get to practice your English, but you might make a genuine friend, too!

3. Don’t ask us about money

While it’s very common to talk about money in China, this is a big no-no in Western cultures. We feel quite uncomfortable when asked about our salaries or how much we paid for something, unless we got an amazing deal, of course. To most of us, our salaries and how much rent we pay are private matters, so we will either refuse to answer or lie, probably quoting a lower figure. It’s embarrassing for us if a Chinese person thinks we’re overpaid, rich or being ripped off.

4. Don’t tell girls they’re beautiful when you first meet them

While this is obviously a compliment, most foreign girls will find it a bit odd/creepy if you tell them they’re beautiful straight away. They’ll assume you’re coming onto them (or just weird/being false) and will therefore be unwilling to pursue a friendship with you.

5. Don’t call or text too much

Send a text to your foreign friends only when you have something to say. Texting 20 times a day just to say “hi” can seem invasive, as we usually only text to make plans or if we’re sharing a story or some news. Texts like “What’s up?” are usually used to see if the person is available to hang out. If the laowai replies, “not much, you?”, do not reply, “nothing”. The laowai will become confused (and maybe annoyed) about why you text in the first place.

6. Don’t say “I miss you” too soon

In addition, most foreigners don’t feel comfortable with messages from people they hardly know that say, “I miss you”. This is a phrase usually reserved for our closest friends and relatives. Saying it to someone we met once in a coffee shop is not commonplace.