Interested in speaking with journalist?

POSTED BY: Jizhe
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 16:50
VIEWED: 17599
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JIZHE

Friday, July 6, 2007 10:18 AM

Hi gang,

I'm a journalist working for the Chinese edition of a major American magazine, and I'm currently writing about how people, still to this day, discuss the Chinese on the show Firefly and the film Serenity. I think this would be of great interest to our Chinese readers who are also greatly influence by the foreign languages that they pick up from shows -- like "Friends" and "Sex and the City," to name a couple.

I'd love to know whether any of the Chinese from the show and the film has entered your common vernacular. For example, I’ve heard of some people in a small town who don’t greet their friends, “Hey, girlfriend!” any more, but instead say, “Hey, Meimei!” Have any of you adjusted your speech as such? Or has the Chinese on the show encouraged or inspired any of you to start taking Chinese classes, for example? Basically, I’d like to know how does the foreign language element on the show affect you – is it something interesting to speak of in your free time, or is it something that has opened your world in a larger sense?

Thank you so much for your time and consideration to this post. I appreciate it very much.

Megan S.

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6IXSTRINGJACK

Friday, July 6, 2007 11:24 AM

Very interesting post there Megan, if you don't mind me calling you Megan, and I find the prospect of speaking with someone from which we could learn things from each other about other peoples quite intriguing.

I wish I'd gotten to it sooner, but I'm pretty much on my way out the door at work now so I won't be able to say much now. I'll give your post some thought and get back to you about this later.

I just had time for one question and one statement before I go now though.

Question: Is it true that they allowed "Desperate Housewives" to be aired in China, but they changed the title to "Crazy Housewives"?

Statement: Please don't use "Sex in the City" as a barometer of American culture. I really loathe that show.

Have a good day Megan. I'm sure there are many other Browncoats who would be more than happy to oblige your request today.

EDITED TO ADD: If you are Chinese yourself and Chinese is your first language and you manage to speak and write English as well as you do, I'm very envious of your abilities.



"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack

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ARTCAT81

Friday, July 6, 2007 1:06 PM

Actually, I greet my browncoat friends now with Ni Hao, I call one of them me Mei mei, amongst the browncoats I hang out with we say xie xie instead of thank you, and often end up saying xie xie at restaurants we visit. I have caughtmyselff asking coworkers "Dongma?" after explaining something. So yes, the vernacular from Firefly has entered my everyday language. Shiny has also become a common word in my vocabulary.

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse

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RIVERISMYGODDESS

Friday, July 6, 2007 1:25 PM

I certainly use some of the Chinese in everyday speech. Xie xie, and dong ma, and sometimes ni hao. I also use shiny, gorramn, and ruttin', all three from the show.

I have a printout in my car of the Chinese from the show, movie, and novel, that I try to read and learn when I have a chance to.

~jimi
No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater, than central air.

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DIANASPR

Friday, July 6, 2007 3:57 PM

I also find my self using it Chinese every day.

I have taught my 6yr old nephew how to say thank you and hi. And any time I can I use it with him. People look at us weird because we will speak in Spanish, English and throw in some Chinese.

I have listned to different podcast to learn Cantonese but as of yet I have not gotten very far. I would love to be able to converse in simple words. Is a GOAL!!!