China Chat

Exit, 出口, chu kou, is today’s word. Jiajia talks about looking for exits and how Chris can always find them, Jiajia explains more about the thought behind the characters and Chris asserts once again that in China, she is basically illiterate.

Today’s word of the day is Entrance, 入口，ru kou. Chris chides Jiajia for not checking in with her and Jiajia tells about the time his dad taught his mom to ride a bicycle. 

The word of the day is mushrooms 蘑菇 mo gu. Jiajia and Chris talk about their favorite mushrooms, explore the different varieties, and sing the praises of the chicken stew in Snow Village in Heilongjiang. 

Tomato sauce 番茄酱fan qie jiang is a must-have for a proper pizza in Chris’ mind, but she didn’t miss it at all on their durian pizza. Jiajia talks about one of his favorite English words, bark. Chris yells at Jiajia for trying to distract her at the hospital. Chris has to apologize. Again.

Cheese 干酪 gan lao, is the word of the day. Chris thanks Jiajia for curing her shin splints and apologizes for not taking his nightly restless leg woes more seriously. 

The word of the day is garlic 大蒜 da suan. Chris and Jiajia talk about the best way (in their opinion) to peel garlic and Chris drools over smashed cucumber and garlic. 

The word of the day is pizza 披萨 pi sa. Jiajia and Chris share their memories of pizzas past and the delight of durian pizza. Jiajia cries a little bit over cold baozi. 

The word of the day is camera 照相机 zhao xiang ji. Jiajia asks Chris what it was like to have a dinosaur as a pet as she recalls lugging around cameras with actual film in them. JiaJia’s baby photos are adorable.

The word of the day is cellphone 手机 shou ji.  But that’s not the only word you can use. Jiajia shares about his experience with cellphones and we discuss the difference between living and dead languages. Meanwhile, Tommy loudly chews on a beef bone while Lucky scowls at her. 

The word of the day is computer 电脑 dian nao. How far we’ve come from the early days of word processors and floppy discs. It’s a brave, new world.