Australian Belly Tank

[Geo]

Ni Zhonguo!   

Wo hao, ni na.  Xiexie wo punyo.  谢谢你，我亲爱的朋友

You who wonder might try this: http://www.wikihow.com/Speak-Mandarin-Chinese-in-a-Day

My favorite when talking to a person I need something from was - Ring around the Rosie - It goes like this...

G Hi I need a chop on this form to open the shop.
C You need to go three doors down.
G The weather is very beautiful today.
C Yes it is.
G Is it always like this?
C Sometimes it rains.
G That is why there are so many beautiful flowers. Will it rain tomorrow?
C No tomorrow will be like today.
G You must enjoy living here very much, I would.
C Yes I do like it here.
G I need a chop on this form.
C Wait here someone will be with you shortly.
G Is there a good resturant nearby?
C There are many.
G Do they serve special local dishes?
C Many dishes are local.
G Will they open for lunch? It will be noon in one hour.
C They are always open.
G Can you explain how to get there to my driver?
- 10 minute conversation -
G I need a chop on this form.
C Just a moment I will ask my boss.

[Dr Goggles]

China is amazing in so many ways. It realy is steaming ahead of the rest of the world just in infrastructure alone. Huge amounts of fantastic cheap fast (300kph) modern railway being built spanning hte country. Makes the west look like a crumbling backwater.
Dik

Hey, not so fast China....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/12/china-bullet-trains-recalled?intcmp=239

[Milwaukee Midget]

So let me see if I have this one straight -

The United States is upping its presence in the Pacific rim by building a base in Canberra to keep China in check with money we borrowed from China.

Yeah, I do have that one straight . . .

[Reverend Hedgash]

Its straighter than that. The only reason they don't cash in some of the half trillion or so dollars of bonds that they have that hold the US up and are a very low return investment is because it would reduce the value of the other half trillion or so dollars of bonds that they also have holding the US up.

China and the US are strange but necessary bedfellows at the moment (cue David Bowie and "China Girl."

As for the circular conversation don't get me started... I went to the police station as arranged at 11.15am after waiting for two weeks for my passports to be stamped for residency due to the Spring festival to be told the policeman I needed to see was out to lunch until 1pm to return later to be told that what was meant to be done days ago still hadn't been done so could I come back in two days...

My favorite was I had to get something translated by a registered translator then I had to go get a translation registrator to register the registered translation, even though the person I was given the form to in the first place spoke English.

I wont go on but it is tiring. Especially with a two year old.

If anyone can be bothered checking out what we are designing here go to www.studio505.com.au to see some of our work. Getting strange engineering done here is a lot of fun I can tell you (yes, that was sarcasm.)

rH+

[kiwi belly tank]

Rev, I was about to ask, what the hell are you doing in china. So you're building confetty buildings??
So how does the whole comunist capitalist thing work out in your situation
  Sid.

[Reverend Hedgash]

Chinese communism has been drifting since Deng opened the country up in the late 1970's with it being a lot less ideological based and more about legitimising its power by providing economic growth and improved quality of living and opportunity for its citizens* which it has done very well. It has pulled 200 million people out of poverty in the past thirty years which is a mighty achievement (*NB  Don't say comrad any more, it means "gay" friend!)

All of our current work is commissioned by the government, which has a hand in hand relationship with the communist party and I deal with members of both. The great thing about communism is when they want something done they work together to make it happen whereas in democratic countries like Australia with essentially a two part system they spend most of the time bickering and pulling each others' attempts to improve the country down. That is why we don't have a fast train to Sydney.

Of course there are many different kind of democracies (some good, some awful) but I cannot think of a single major organisation or company that is truly democratic, and they are really the big power brokers in the world some would say. So why not communism for the business of government?

The days of tyrants has past, the leaders are do not have office until they die as previously and are only allowed two terms (like the US). Promotion in the ranks is through a complicated mix of connections and credentials, with success in achieving the goals of the Five Year Plans a major factor (one of the major goals of the current five year plan is to provide sufficient quality housing for China's aging population) . This seems better than the popularity contest that democracy can often bring.

There are no business issues for us that I know that we are negatively affected by by dealing with a communist / capitalist environment other than battling the entrenched relationships that are in the business system , but that is a product of the society and not the government and I have experienced that more working in quasi democratic Japan anyway.

OK Off topic but it kind of explains why I have been off topic for a while!

Dik

[SPARKY]

I can only hope you are trying to "Protect" your 

[Reverend Hedgash]

No, not protecting anything. That's the way it is.

Sure there are issues, and there will be more but it is changing; Contemporary Chinese Communism is a far cry from that McCarthy terrified the US of (and was ultimately censured for...)

d

[SPARKY]

TURNS OUT he was right!!!!!

[Dr Goggles]

Australian Belly tank thread.

Crap jokes, recipes, sewing tips, bragging, occasional updates on the bellytank(s)and long boring anecdotes. Yes

Politics, religion and door cars, No.
 

[kiwi belly tank]

You won't find me involved in a political argument but I have seen two party political systems spend more time getting in each other's way than getting the job done & that includes NZ, Aus & the US.

Dik, I actually got a chance to look around your web site tonight when I got home. Thats some really cool stuff mate! I got a look at the front page this morning then had to go out on a job that went on all day.
So how long will you be in China? Is communication- language a problem? Do you have other english speaking associates?
  Sid.  

[kiwi belly tank]

ps  Sorry Goggs.
  Sid.

[Dr Goggles]

ps  Sorry Goggs.
  Sid.

I was just having a poke at two of my better friends, but the fact is we have enough gumpf here without taking traffic away from sites that specialize in anonymous people arguing about stuff they'll never agree about...that's why I love this site....we all agree one particular thing. Now about door cars.............

[Tman]

Doc, just had 3 count that THREE of those Glorious Crow Peak Brewing Companies 11th Hour IPAs tonight thinking of you guys! No tube mitering now!~

[Milwaukee Midget]

Now about door cars.............

Going from humor to heresy, are we?