Eric739

Exactly Qing ke, not Qing by itself. Qing in a lot of cases is shortened like a contraction, so the ke or le is not said. I think you're referring to Çë not Çé ... e.g., ÇëÈ˳Է¹ or ÎÒÇë¿Í Pommey means the Çé from ¸ÐÇé and Çé¿ö I see. My eyes missed the first few strokes. I do think Qing though is one of the charming and unique things about China. When I was there, each time, I could not pay for a meal unless it was just with my family and was not often. And they did play the game of refusing three times before accepting any kind of gift or compliment or acceptance of favor. very ÈÈÇé (while on the subject of Çé ) "¶Ô¿ÍÈËÈÈÇéµ½¼ÒÁË" I have not been able to get Chinese characters yet on my keyboard either for me or my wife. Most of the software is so slow and tedious. But xie xie ni.

Exactly Qing ke, not Qing by itself. Qing in a lot of cases is shortened like a contraction, so the ke or le is not said. I think you're referring to Çë not Çé ... e.g., ÇëÈ˳Է¹ or ÎÒÇë¿Í Pommey means the Çé from ¸ÐÇé and Çé¿ö I see. My eyes missed the first few strokes. I do think Qing though is one of the charming and unique things about China. When I was there, each time, I could not pay for a meal unless it was just with my family and was not often. And they did play the game of refusing three times before accepting any kind of gift or compliment or acceptance of favor.

Exactly Qing ke, not Qing by itself. Qing in a lot of cases is shortened like a contraction, so the ke or le is not said.

close, but not quite right, the action of Qing between friends ? Then it would have to have a helping or particle word, like ke. That would take the meaning into the context of friends. In this case, you are paying for the meal.

We had a similar problem but it took a long time to get the pink. Stay on them but not too much. Do the homework quickly and keep copies of what you send, including receipts from the mail delivery system. That saved us. Be patient, keep in touch with each other (I know you will) and have faith. It's worth it. We are so happy now, despite a few problems that are obvious to any person coming to the US. You'll do it.

Qing Çé sentiment, feeling, emotion

Nothing could compare to the worse mass murderer in history: Mao. The counts vary but they are in the millions (30 is the least number I read) and not of soldiers in war either. Never mind the other millions he starved. The facts are that the US is now the most violent country on the planet. Countries bombed by US SINCE WWII: China, Korea, Guatemala, Indonesia, Cuba, Congo, Peru, Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Iran, Panama, Iraq, Kuwait, Somalia, Bosnia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Syria, and Philadelphia (MOVE, 1985). Apples and oranges. You are counting soldiers at war. Mao didn't really care about his own people much less his armies. And the countries you list could not compare to the millions lost in Great Leap and the Cultural Revolution. When told about the millions who were starving in the Great (Famine) Leap Forward, he said, "We will lose a few." Oh well....

Nothing could compare to the worse mass murderer in history: Mao. The counts vary but they are in the millions (30 is the least number I read) and not of soldiers in war either. Never mind the other millions he starved.

I didn't think this thread would get this far but some comments. As to China's crime rate especially violent crimes, it is far lower per capita than most industrialized countries including the US. I Googled it a while ago and some rates are different since some countries don't publish comparable figures by date: Russia: o.201534 South Africa: 0.0562789 America: 0.042802 India: 0.0344083 France: 0.0173272 Canada: 0.0149063 Britain: 0.0140633 Denmark: 0.0106775 Japan: 0.00499933 Murder Rates by Country Why? Some think China will execute you fast, often with little real justice, and send a bill for the bullet to your family. (True.) Others will say that much of China's murders go unreported. (Probably also true.) Recent crime studies do indicate validity in the deterrent aspect of murder but not in the case of the crazy ones such as Ft Hood. Tiannenman Square did lead to some changes for China at least. They got even more disciplined. One of the reasons T-Square dragged on so long was troops were brought in from Shenyang (and other areas) early on who obviously spoke Mandarin, the same language as the protestors. So the soldiers were more sympathetic to the protest since they understood them. Deng recognized that and as military chief ordered troops from the South who spoke Cantonese as their main language. That took a while but when they arrived the massacre happened shortly afterward. They did not understand the pleas made by the protestors. But if you got to CHina and Google T-Square (or the June 4the Incident), you will get a vastly different set of sites than you would here. Several Chinese students were questioned recently about T-Square and they knew nothing about it. It's no wonder they feel more "secure." Kent State Study Kent State was more than an issue of training. The protest had carried on for many days prior to the actual shooting and the guardsmen felt their lives were in jeopardy. In contrast, just a few days earlier, they were seen talking and acting friendly to the protestors as in T-Square. The protests were also nationwide, having increased after Nixon ordered an "incursion" (love that word) into Cambodia. Trials later validated the view that the guardsmen were in danger, especially when martial law was "rumored" to have been issued. (It was not.) But one civil trial ordered restitution to the 4 students who were killed in the amount equal to what it would cost the State of Ohio for a new trial. Later studies agreed with that judgement. The guardsmen did not feel they had to apologize but the general in charge of them did just before he died in 2008. I was just curious about how people's experiences were and the facts that exist to either support or contradict their view. I, too, have had a lot of incidents in many countries and the police were nowhere. I have also witnessed the French army getting as stupid as the Ohio NG in the Paris train station during the riots in 2007. That incident did not hit the newspapers as far as I know. Strangely, the people with me knew when to hit the ground and didn't seem the least bit afraid.

Not sure where to put this but here goes. The wife is always saying that China is safe and secure. The US has all these people who kill so many others and nothing seems to happen. But I say China's justice system is quite arbitrary and many innocent people are executed. (Maybe some not so innocent.) And there is just as much injustice toward victims as there is in the US. And we never hear about the ones who carry knives and mug you. The cops in China are just as fallible and subject to corruption as any police system. Maybe more. I am constantly being subjected to the generalizations about China, this one being the most common, especially in view of the latest round of mass murderers. It always starts with "China no have." Well, China does not have a lot of things, including freedom and justice. And it does have a lot of civil unrest where people do get killed. China Executes 9

Here's a link for cut and paste. www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/11/09/2009-11-09_fort_hood_gunman_nidal_malik_hasan_tried_to_contact_al_qaeda_and_us_intelligence.html Here's the link directly: Link To Hasan Al Qaeda Hot stuff.

Totally agree on this one. There is some word also that he was a converted Muslim.

I have read where the 5.7 pistol can carry 30 rounds but still that is a whole lot of action when this would be (presumably) the first time he fired "in anger." And he carried a pistol he supposedly used. I do agree about the friendly fire angle being suppressed. That would be soooo military. But he was in a processing center where the likelihood of an armed MP is rare. As to the Tampa guy, not sure the discussion is any different. Much of it still applies. My wife mentioned reading both stories and remarked America is unsafe. Another issue to deal with.....

Because in America we are not suppose to "profile",showing once again our stupidity.I still believe this was a terrorist act,but of course we will be told differently.So,like always,lets blame it on someone or something else,this time the army.The guy was a nut job. Me,Having dated a Muslim girl a few years ago.The crap that is taught to them at an early age,is down right scary.This girl i dated was an angel until you brought up "jews"and "infidels",and Muslim causes,and she became a person with an awful hateful mindset,very disturbing.These people do think very differently.....but hey I am profiling......and we dont profile,so nut jobs like this will continue to mingle into society un-noticed until thier time to die for their god,and take a few infidels with them.Hey just my 2 cents,take it or leave it,I am not bashing Muslims,just stating facts ,i am not saying All Muslims are terrorists,but unfortunetly in this point in history most terrorists are muslims.. Jimi I will go with warpedboard. I know many Muslims and they are not as conflicted as this guy seems to have been. They are good people and every one of them I know is quite upset about 9/11 and what this guy did in the name of his religion, if in fact, that is the case, which I doubt as well. And I don't agree that most terrorists are Muslims. In fact, the Muslim community I know disowns the acts of these terrorists. They are not acting in the name of Islam. They are just terrorists interested only in their own narcissistic ideas. This guy was just plain nuts. Had nothing to do with isolation or the TV, the lack of one, or guns themselves, or that he got by the officer candidate psychiatric interview. Just like Hannibal Lector, anyone an be fooled by someone who knows how to do it. I do like the idea that he was a coward, although that is an easy thing to say. He had other choices. If he is so moralistic about his life, he could have resigned his commission. But his ego would not allow that given his background. He came from dirt and didn't want to go back. He could not resolve that conflict. I still cannot believe he got off 100 rounds with an automatic pistol and revolver in that span of time. That's carrying and changing 6 or 7 clips and/or having several fast loads for the revolver. And having your hands occupied by the other gun. I would like to see how he did that.....I think the press needs to look into friendly fire..... I carried two 45's and had trouble trying to keep from shooting myself.

Dont know Eric I remember visiting Forts Bragg and Benning , seemed to me more weapons in base housing than I've even seeen anywhere. The rules are there but as I said, easily dodged. You can sneak in all kinds of things. The idea is to maintain inventory on things that belong to the military. I came back with a whole lotta stuff, non-explosive. Nice chrome 9mm I got off a Chinese officer. Made some money off that one. Hid it in my chest of drawers in the barracks, once I was out of the hospital. The difference was I came back with no pre-flight interview since I was injured. They just packed my gear and put it on the plane. But if you come on post with a non-issue weapon get ready for trouble. That kind of thing gets reported to the OD and onto the commanders.

A Mafan is right. A military base especially, except one in a forward area is guns free. But they don't check you going through the gate. Just your ID or badge on your vehicle, give a salute if you're an officer and wave you through. Going through on the bus, with other civilians, yes, they will even search you. On a high alert base where rapid strike elements are there, the restrictions are even higher. Have to say though, to get 100 rounds off in such a short time and still being able to say "Allahu akbar" the whole time meant he would have made a decent soldier. He had to have been carrying some fast loads for that revolver.

A Mafan, it's interesting that in all the different ways I've seen your moniker mispelled, I've yet to see the most damning of all possibilities -- i.e., mafen (Âí·à) Not a misspelling. A simple typo. Sorry A Mafan. I use an easy moniker because my real name has been massacred many times.

I got back from the Big Puddle a mess. Like most with PTSD, I was told the concern was that I would turn inward rather outward. In other words the likelihood of me being a mass murderer (a common thread among those who know little) was not very high. The likelihood of suicide was high. Of course, they know so little about it anyway despite the TV episodes. I was a counselor myself for about two years and handled PTSD as well as some violent murderers. A statistic from those times: the "helping" careers, dentists, doctors, counselors, mental health professionals had the highest suicides of any other profession. And suicides rarely kill others in the process unless it is so-called "police assisted" which this appears to be since he lived. He could not resolve the soldier in him. I myself had to get out of counseling. The job is not as easy as it appears. We had weekly therapy sessions amongst ourselves just to maintain. Talk therapy actually works. But it has to be with someone who has seen what you have. For him, maybe another Muslim in a professional capacity. I don't think there is any predicting why this guy went ballistic. I know that violence in the background is a major factor. He came from Palestine. And had unresolvable ego issues. Also, there is no "straw." There is probably not one single incident that set him off. He had been thinking about it for some time. His family said he wanted out of the military and they would not let him go. His inner ego got the best of him. He obviously did not seek his own counsel to get professional help. Very sad to think that guys fought hard and felt lucky to come back alive to get wasted by a self-serving cuckoo head.

After trying a number of different kinds of teaching methods, we tried RS and she learns much faster. The best legally you are going to do is to buy from them directly by phone. When you do, you can send it back for a full refund if it does not meet your satisfaction. No questions. I got all 5 versions at a lower price (after buying version 1 on trial) and she is eating it up. It releases me from a lot of questions and she is learning English very well.

I studied Mandarin at the community college. It was a good way to learn some basic pronunciation but the instructor was diehard Taiwanese. They write and speak mostly Traditional Mandarin, not Simplified on the mainland. Some differences there cause confusion. If you go that route, make sure the teacher is good and can answer questions without having to think in Mandarin. I did study Rosetta Stone and found it very helpful. Pimsleur is also good but takes a bit more time than Rosetta I find. Wafan is right about the dictionary. There is a lot of emphasis upon pinyin only because it helps a westerner learn to pronounce. But it really is a crutch. You will see what I mean after a while. Learning the correct stroke order is important to be able to look up words in the Chinese dictionary. And the writing of Chinese is quite an art and a whole lot of fun for me as a one time artist myself. It has actually helped my English writing. I have had several operations on my hands and arms and concentrating on correct writing really does help. One of the reason why Chinese people are so disciplined I think is the language demands it. So if you have that discipline, then you will do well. But practice is also necessary. Have to do it everyday. We have a rule in the house: only Mandarin on Friday. I starve sometimes but it works.

Congrats. We are getting ready for our AOS in one month. I feel a little less stressed. Thanks. I found interesting your remark that your wife didn't want to buy rings because they were expensive. I fight that concept every time we go shopping for anything from celery to a cheap blouse for her. "Gui, gui, gui" is all I hear.

Hmmm... I'll take two of those.

I think the anti-Jewish invective that Hitler wrote and spoke of even in his early years just after the war, prove religion as a major causative factor. I won't agree that it was factor in every war but certainly WWII. To say that Nanking was treated the same as any other city in China by the Japanese is just not justified. The over 300,000 people (out of 600,000) that were massacred, many after rape and mutilation, has no precedent in modern times. It was called the single worst atrocity in either the European or Asian theaters of battle during WWII. The holocaust killed many more but over a greater time and distance. And Tuchman missed the massacre (as did Stillwell) with a mention of it being "400 heads" a day. Very little had been written about Nanking other than Chang's book. A lot has been written since. The Japanese would never have been able to carry out their aims without the Bushido code. Even in Nanking they were outnumbered 25,000 to 300,000 and still took the city even after a bloody battle for Shanghai. We already were embargoing oil and other goods on Japan by December, 1941. No doubt a factor in the attack on Pearl Harbor was economics but the Bushido code is embedded deep in the Shinto tradition. Not sure I would agree that most of Japan felt they were China's protecturate. They would not have make up such incidents as Mucken in order to start a war. (1905 invasion of Manchuria.) Like Hitler, it was just plain megalomania.

This thought reminds me of a story that appeared buried in the newspaper right in the height of the Vietnam War. I don't know why I remembered it. Some called him a crazy man for his dreams and visions. But many listened to the old man, the sage, the Chinese village doctor who was interviewed by the American newspapers. They called him crazy for saying that this war would be over despite many years of blood. And the North Vietnamese would win. He also said China and America would join together and create heaven on earth. I hope he was right....

I faced the same dilemma. I listened to her when she said she would be strong enough to handle the stress of the interview and no doubt, she is very strong. And my brother has passed away tragically just before the interview was to occur. But I regret not going when she got the blue. I should have been there for her. I sent her money for the train (soft seat, luxury) roundtrip. When she got the blue she paid for a plane back on her own dime because she had to get a receipt for the English class she had taken immediately. And then she was so upset for disappointing me that she did not make a copy of the receipt and of course, GJ claimed they didn't get it. What a mess to straighten out..... If I had been there I could have prevented a lot of the mistakes aside from just showing some support. My lesson: Never underestimate the sensitivity of a Chinese woman. Go to the interview....It will pay dividends later. Good luck.