So, I just did a nine page piece for this prospective new job

[HEyHEY]

I'm not very optimistic about it, though. The subject material was not my specialty and I had a lot of trouble getting information that I needed. I guess we'll see what they say upon reading it. It's a bit of a catch 22 for me cause if I get it I'll make less money, but have better insurance, more vacation, a better visa and 23 holiday days a year. If I don't I'll make a little more money for awhile and be able to keep looking for something else.

I don't know what to wish for, actually.

[Tikki]

1. I bet you will know which is the correct response....

to how you should feel when you get your answer.

I'm, also, betting that you did a much better job on your
submission than you are realizing at the moment.

The time to work through what will happen in anyone's future
is pretty much what everybody should have.

Good Luck to you.

Tikki

[HEyHEY]

4. Thanks

I got a bit of a response. He said it wasn't exactly what they were looking for, but where thinking of sending me to Shanghai to shape it more. So it's not a total "fuck off, you suck." However, he said I did a good job for someone who has no experience writing comprehensive reports or experience in the subject matter. So, we'll see.

[UndertheOcean]

2. How is your Chinese ? Is the language difficult to pick up ? with all the tones

or is that a misconception.

[HEyHEY]

3. Not that hard, actually

Just learn your tones (mine suck) and Pinyin and speaking is okay. The most important thing is to learn characters. Then your vocab increases.

[UndertheOcean]

5. There are thousands ! boggles the mind . I thought learning characters does not help at all with

speech , but you are telling me it does , that is surprising.

[HEyHEY]

6. It's easier than you think

I started REALLY studying characters six months ago, I can hand-write more than 100 now and can read more than a couple hundred. Here's an example of how it helps you out.

So, I know that the Character for "plus" is jia 加 because it is in the Chinese word for "canada"
I know the Character for "heat" is re 热 because I learned how to read it so I could find my favourite noodles on a menu.
I know the character for tool is qi 器 becuase I saw it everywhere so I asked a friend.

So, the other day, I went to by a space heater. I bought it and on the way home noticed that the box had 加热器 written on the side.... "Oh! I thought 'Jia Re Qi' or 'plus heat tool' is how you say heater!"

See what I mean?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. "Plus Heat Tool"? You could be surprised

It might be a clothes iron, or a hair dryer, or a curling iron, or a soldering gun. Plus Heat Tools all.

But congratulations on the first draft of the paper. It sounds like they just want it tweaked a little.

My language skills are terrible. I am somewhat confident I can understand Canadian, if I stay out of Quebec or the eastern island provices.

:hi:

[HEyHEY]

8. Nah, they often call machines or tools by OBVIOUS names

For instance the translation of bottle opener is "Open bottle machine" computer is "Electric brain." Most gadgets have either "tool, machine, electric" or "Instrument" attached to them then begin with just what the device performs. Iron basically translates to "flattening tool"

[JVS]

9. Plus Heat Tool, I thought that was what the Trojan Waming Sensation™ condoms would be callled.

[JVS]

10. BTW, how do you know they weren't saying "Canadian heat tool"?

[HEyHEY]

11. haha

Canada is "Jia Na Da" and ould loosely translate to "took the big one"