Gong Xi Fa Chai

[Gutwrench]

My wife is in China celebrating the new year with family. I wish I could be there too. So for those celebrating the coming of the year of the dragon, Happy Chinese New Year.

[Samuel]

Hey Gutwrench - Shing Nien Kwai Luh, Da Guh! <----- bastardized hybrid pronunciation... lol

Hey, perfect opportunity/reason for me to go out and get the dragon tattoo I always wanted... ;)

[Gutwrench]

Ni hao, Samuel!

I know just enough Chinese to get slapped by my wife and punched by friends and have virtually no pinyin skills. But I think you said, Happy New Year big brother? Thank you. Where did you learn this? What's the background? Im surprised. Lol.

[Samuel]

Ni Hao! I'm actually "abc" so it's really more impressive that YOU know some Chinese (I'm assuming you're gwai lo, right? And now I'm mixing dialects lol)! If you dropped me off in the middle of China, I could probably make my way home or at least back to a US embassy BUT the locals would be laughing at me the whole way (and that's if they weren't thumbing their noses at me for being abc)... Dunno where my partner BJJVad has been but he'd be one of the first to tell you just how "banana" or "twinkie" I really am...

[Gutwrench]

Yes, I go by gwai lo or da bizi. Lol.

My wife has been in Tianjin since early December visiting her parents and brother. She returns very soon. Whatever I know I give credit to her. Her name is Jing, so I claim to be bilingual: English and Jinglish. She keeps me on a tight lease whenever we're visiting China as she knows I'll get myself in trouble and would never survive if lost.

I regret not starting Chinese school on weekends long ago. Perhaps I will soon just to pick up the language better. I'm guessing your parents sent you? Our daughter isn't fond of it.
Seriously this is an honor, Samuel.

[Samuel]

Gonna PM you...

[oscarmitre]

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all. I am a metal tiger and this year is supposed to be good for me although the metal will probably wind up in my body as I age and parts have to be replaced. Lots of celebrations here and terrific food to be found in the city.

[Samuel]

Happy New Year Oscar!

[retdetsgt]

Off topic a little, I used to have an ABC as a partner in uniform. He was about 5-5, but could bench over 300 lbs. One night in the ghetto, a street denizen called him a "Fat Jap". I remained a spectator to what was a very ugly scene.......

Happy New Year, Samuel!

[Samuel]

lmao! Happy New Year RDS!

[cntryboy0531]

I'm so lost....

[Samuel]

I'm so lost....

What part of "fat jap" leading to a beat down didn't you understand? I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

[cntryboy0531]

What part of "fat jap" leading to a beat down didn't you understand? I don't care who you are, that's funny right there!

Ilol'd at that. everything else left me pretty well confused.

[Samuel]

Ok, well see, once upon a time there was this county on the other side of the world. Now in that country there were a bunch (bunch as in 2+ billion) of funny looking, funny sounding people that were also vehicularly challenged. These same people once built a wall so big you can see it from the moon - all because their neighbor's pets kept jumping into their yards. Anyway, being tardy is one of the stereotypes these people have, hence the phrase "on Asian time" - by the time December rolls around, these people are usually way behind and end up celebrating New Year a few weeks later than us folks who keep a calendar based on the sun... Btw, if you ever eat in a restaurant owned by these people, and you like the food, do NOT go looking around in the kitchen - you don't wanna know...

[Gutwrench]

Funny story detsgt. I say this as sensitively as possible, but I wonder which troubled your partner more: the "fat" part or being he was "C" but being called Japanese. There's deep history there.

Happy new year Oscar.

Crtnyboy, shoot me a pm if you're interested and I'll clear everything up.

Samuel-I rcv'd your pm this am and will reply again soon. Caught busy ATM.

Edit: I see Samuel cleared it up already. Lol.