tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post2821832302788979113..comments2023-10-29T21:14:24.325+08:00Comments on SHE in China: Just another train ride...Jonna Wibeliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-68302368259671261842010-03-30T16:54:20.704+08:002010-03-30T16:54:20.704+08:00Hahaha... this is a funny story.
I should admit th...Hahaha... this is a funny story.<br />I should admit that myself am using the word "diligent" quite often and never realized that it is rarely used by native speakers.<br /><br />It's a pity ou didn't ask his telephone number to find out later the result of interview ;-)Crystal Taohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17073063996593181866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-69435533420543293412008-12-04T17:07:00.000+08:002008-12-04T17:07:00.000+08:00I learned that "cong ming" translates as "clever" ...I learned that "cong ming" translates as "clever" and I hear the former used in China way more than I hear the latter used in the US. "Diligent" isn't exactly an every day word, but maybe an every week or every month word.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I had a similar experience, only the guy actually asked me to write his resume for him! Of course I refused, despite his many pleas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-24288619095497234682008-12-04T06:07:00.000+08:002008-12-04T06:07:00.000+08:00Thanks Jonna for the answers.Thanks Jonna for the answers.Geoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12323112659276014991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-39206815244580467062008-12-03T23:16:00.000+08:002008-12-03T23:16:00.000+08:00This one is way funny. Yeap. It sounds like Chin...This one is way funny. Yeap. It sounds like China. BTW, he probably asked a Chinese friend who has a good command of English to write the answers for him. I have done lots of interviews with IT professionals over the years in America. I have Chinese candidates are at least honest and you can pretty much tell if they know their stuff. Many software engineers from India would ask a friend to do phone interviews. We got burned big time with our complaints from our clients on Indian software engineers, but not once with Chinese software engineers. That Chinese man you met sounded nice albeit funny. Glad you could help him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-9072067286860811342008-12-03T19:00:00.000+08:002008-12-03T19:00:00.000+08:00Great post! How good-natured of you to help that ...Great post! How good-natured of you to help that guy prepare!<BR/><BR/>Is "diligent" really the most common translation for 聪明? I'd have thought it was "intelligent."<BR/><BR/>I interview people all the time (I'm an admissions representative for my old high school) and it does seem to be a word that comes up a lot in that context. (Mercifully never had to deal with "sex appeal!" But now at least I'll be prepared if it every does come up.) <BR/><BR/>You know, I have actually stopped carrying Chinese books around in public places, because having people ask me "Can you understand that?" always ticks me off so much. I always want to say, "No, I can't, because the Chinese language is way too hard for a simple barbarian like myself! I'm just looking at the words on the page in order to fool people." <BR/><BR/>Last time I was in China (11 years ago), we called this the "'Monkey Can Talk' syndrome." A highly regarded scholar of Chinese literature once told me that when he came to China an absolutely staggering number of people (outside academia, I hope), on hearing that he was a specialist in Chinese literature, asked him if he had ever heard of Li Bai. I mean, come on. This guy WROTE THE BOOK on High Tang poetry. It makes me crazy! If I ever get the chance to meet Professor Peng Xiaoyu at the Center for Hellenic Studies at PKU, you won't catch me asking him if he happens to have heard of a guy called Homer. In fact, since I have only an undergraduate degree in Classics where as Peng Xiaoyu is a PROFESSOR of Classics, I'm going to assume that he actually knows rather more about it than I do. <BR/><BR/>Sorry, what a rant! I can't seem to leave this subject alone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-3150902770549693802008-12-03T15:19:00.000+08:002008-12-03T15:19:00.000+08:00hahaha nice! i use the word diligent fairly often,...hahaha nice! i use the word diligent fairly often, esp. when i'm applying for internships etc. it's a pretty good word to use i think! better than 'sex appeal'!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13928536342624338260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-42250601561429589312008-12-03T14:41:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:41:00.000+08:00Jonna - In real life, compared to my blog, I'm pro...Jonna - In real life, compared to my blog, I'm probably slightly less funny, equally diligent but have much more sex appeal, so you win some, lose some :-pAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-33272229792121039302008-12-03T14:29:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:29:00.000+08:00woai -u kidding me?! I would NEVER reach for my iP...woai -u kidding me?! I would NEVER reach for my iPod if I met u. If you're just half as hilarious in real life as u are in your blog, chances are I'll be laughing myself to tears (in a good way).Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-53536771281029867142008-12-03T14:25:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:25:00.000+08:00Right, next time I see you in Lounge 18 I'm gonna ...Right, next time I see you in Lounge 18 I'm gonna say hello, so you'd better not reach in to your bag for your iPod headphones!<BR/><BR/>Actually, I did blog about it:<BR/><BR/>http://blog.friday-nite.com/?p=382<BR/><BR/>Enjoy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-72337572823022957572008-12-03T14:20:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:20:00.000+08:00Pingu -yeah, u wish... ;)Tripfriend -I still loath...Pingu -yeah, u wish... ;)<BR/><BR/>Tripfriend -I still loathe taking a bus in Suzhou for some reason, but in Dalian I really enjoyed it and used buses more than taxis. I don't know why.. they were just cleaner, nicer.. and not so mega-super-duper-packed-with-people?!Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-35831857662940762672008-12-03T14:13:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:13:00.000+08:00Woai -hahahhaa... I can imagine some answers you g...Woai -hahahhaa... I can imagine some answers you get during interviews can be quite interesting!! U should blog about it. <BR/><BR/>As for talking to strangers, I know, I am too nice. But this particular man was so.. I don't know. Well, he reminded me of me the day before my 7th bday (anxiously thinking about if I am going to get that My little pony stable or not), filled with excitement and anticipation. <BR/><BR/>In general, it is close to impossible for me to go on a train, pick up a Chinese book/newspaper and start reading. As soon as someone spots me reading something in hanzi they wanna ask me if I understand or not... almost like they wanna test me if I am just fake-reading or if I am really reading... ?! Anyways, I actually don't mind it that much. In Sweden no one ever talks to u (unless u know each other), so I still find chatting to strangers kind of refreshing.Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-85362995260793752802008-12-03T14:10:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:10:00.000+08:00Sales definitely needs sex appeal!Imagine the stuf...Sales definitely needs sex appeal!<BR/>Imagine the stuff I could sell if my clients just stare at my boobs...oh wait...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-29002720764487637522008-12-03T14:08:00.000+08:002008-12-03T14:08:00.000+08:00Diligent seems to be a word that only gets used in...Diligent seems to be a word that only gets used in specific situations. A job interview is, however, a prefect example. It's become a word that gets thrown around when you're trying to describe a person you barely know and don't want to say anything negative about them.<BR/><BR/>Just reread the Nike post. What IS your opinion of public buses now?Ramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04970820416149325402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-58450151994930998772008-12-03T13:56:00.000+08:002008-12-03T13:56:00.000+08:00Jonna - Great story. I've conducted many intervie...Jonna - Great story. I've conducted many interviews in my time in China so many of his stock answers have a ring of familiarity. It's really funny - they say what they think you want to hear and it has NOTHING to do with the real answer:<BR/><BR/>WoAi: What's your biggest weakness?<BR/><BR/>Candidate : My weakness is that I work too hard.<BR/><BR/>WoAi : Hmmm ... I see, you maybe should try addressing that weakness quickly!<BR/><BR/>I think it's awfully nice of you to engage with strangers. I'm terrible. I would pretend not to have noticed he seemed keen to chat and quickly turned on my iPod. God I'm evil.<BR/><BR/>I usually don't mention my sex appeal. It should be glaringly obvious when they meet me, LOL!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-30723864519090837102008-12-03T12:19:00.000+08:002008-12-03T12:19:00.000+08:00Geoff -maybe not very clear to someone who hasn't ...Geoff -maybe not very clear to someone who hasn't taken a train in China... OK, I'll try to clearify: on your train ticket u have an assigned seat, (a number) and that seat is often already occupied when u get on the train by someone who might have bought a stranding ticket and therefore doesn't have his/her own seat. Then they just sit down somewhere and hope that that very seat will remain free...<BR/><BR/>Pingu -he was interviewing for a sales position.. although maybe that also requiers some sex appeal?! ;)Jonna Wibeliushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08954672453008704738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-91025194382245748322008-12-03T09:52:00.000+08:002008-12-03T09:52:00.000+08:00...unless he is interviewing to be a male model.........unless he is interviewing to be a male model...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8491088023973371313.post-61328193776443048842008-12-03T09:35:00.000+08:002008-12-03T09:35:00.000+08:00As always an intersting blog entry. When you say s...As always an intersting blog entry. When you say someone was sitting at your seat, I do not understand, are you referring to the seat which you normally sit in?Geoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12323112659276014991noreply@blogger.com