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Forums > Study > Anybody know about Rosetta software ?

I am using both and finding the Rosetta more helpful for me.

Some people prefer audio CD. Myself, I am more visual. The Rosetta Stone has audio, visual (pics), reading (text for the dialogue/q&A), and writing (Pinyin) exercises. You can also flip between Pinyin, and Hanzi when working. So that when you have learned enough characters (possibly using other software/flashcards) you can switch to Hanzi and stretch your reading skills using Hanzi.
The Pimsleur also has accompanying booklets with insights into language and culture. These are sometimes found on pdf docs if you have prirate suftware.

Currently, I am doing 3 different currently courses to help spread the drudgery. These include Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, and a flashcard system.

BTW there is an aricle on ad-ons to browsers for Mandarin learners on echinacities.com.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Are 楚家刀 knives (on 西昌路) any good?

Surgical steel holds the best edge for longest, but is impossible to re-sharpen.
Mild steel sharpens quickly, but tends to rust. It is also easy to get razor sharp, and I do mean razor sharp.
All knives lose their edge. BTW the fastest way to kill a knife's edge is to cut paper.

@DenLee, you say that knives that do not need to be sharpened is a requirement. If you mean knives that cut well for a long time, perhaps even when slightly blunt, then you may be best served by a 'serrated edge' (needle point) knife. These serrated edge knives are cheap and can be considered disposable. The very expensive imported knives are overpriced in China by a factor of 4 or 5.

One last thought. Asking the vendor if his knives are any good——-Really?

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Forums > Food & Drink > What do Chinese people think about coffee?

I love Columbian, Alta Rican, etc. However, I have paid the extra for imported coffees and been served with cheap coffee.

That is why I only drink Yunnan coffee in Yunnan, and the cheapest coffee anywhere else in China. The only exception is if I buy coffee in Starbucks, and even then original coffee is not guaranteed.

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Not sure if the question is serious, but here is a serious attempt at an answer.

In the last month or so we have had a lot of rain over a prolonger period, and it has helped a lot. But there has been a 4 year deficit of rainfall vs water use. This has depleted water stocks.

Water stocks consist of rivers and lakes, reservoirs, and most importantly ground water. To replenish the stocks there needs to be rain over a prolonged period. Long periods of consistent light rain are far better at replenishing water sources than heavy rain over short periods.

Shorter periods of heavy rain increase surface water. In urban areas, the concrete buildings and roads prevent the rain water from going into the ground and you get floods and most of this runs off into water courses.
In non-urban areas the surface water can run over the ground with only a small percentage actually soaking in. There is also run off to water courses, flash floods etc.
Water courses, including rivers and many shallow lakes don't really store the extra water, it just runs through.
Where there are deeper lakes and reservoirs water is stored, but this is only a small part of the water reserves.
It takes time for water to permeate the deep ground to replenish aquifers.

Not a perfect answer, I know.

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Visited one just over the border in Guizhou. The pans had not been flushed and there were piles of poop. There was a matong (a sitter shiter) but it was smashed, like have the bowl was gone and jagged edges. No seat (obviously) and it had been used. Build up of green gunk on the porcelain suggest a time lag since any real cleaning had been done.

I think the governer will be regretting his off hand remark, not realising it would go on record.

What ever happened to the 2 flies rule?

Reviews

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A reasonable choice of lumber that has improved over time. Fancy hardwoods like walnut, and mahogany are in abundance. There are some plywood and rubber-wood boards available. There are also some kiln dried imported softwoods and merbao available. Some of the lumber is very green, so look for the kiln dried if you need stable timbers.

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Echo everything said by others.
Breakfast great and the serve from 8am. Most other places say 9am and they still are not ready.
Sandwiches are cheap 22-32, and really packed full of filling. We got some sandwiches for a day out, the only mistake I made was ordering two, as this was too much. These are seriously good sangars, and they are wrapped in alu foil.

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In fairness to Metro, they are a wholesalers, and not really a supermarket. Hence the need for a card, which can be got around.

They have improved in the year I have been away. They now carry a more consistent range of imported foodstuffs and they also seem to have sorted out the mported milk supply.

They have a wider range of electrical appliances now, there is a coice of more than one toast. There is also a better range of seasonal non foods, like clothes, shoes, garden furniture and camping gear.