ATWolf

Long story short, I worked in a summer camp for young Chinese students last summer. This summer, I've made plans to visit some of these kids again and then I'll go to another city to work with more kids. Yay! :) However, I'm trying to find good, unique "American" gifts for the group of kids that I worked with last year in China, and for the different group of kids I'll work with again this summer. Buying things from the store is proving rather difficult since nearly everything is made in China.

When I brought some photos from my hometown, I noticed that the last year's group of kids asked to keep the pictures that had me in it, so I had been meaning to take a self-photo and make copies of that to give to the all the kids I worked with with. Well, it happened that I went to Six Flags yesterday and had one of those speciality photos made with a couple friends-- the ones where you dress up in period-era clothes and they take black-and-white pictures of you. We chose an Old Western theme.

Now, here's the wrinkle. My friends dressed up in those saloon girl dresses; however, only their arms were bare. Their shoulders were covered by their hair and feather boas. My sister and I agree that it doesn't look risque at all. I dressed in a male cowboy's outfit. We held guns and pointed them toward the camera. However, these details are still making me wonder if it'd be appropriate culturally for the Chinese. On one hand, the Old West! America! Cool costumes! on the other hand.... hookers and guns and alcohol...

Your thoughts? Any input from native Chinese would be extremely helpful. (And yes, I've also been thinking about American food as gifts... however I'd have to take it in my carryon as I don't plan to check any luggage... not sure how it would go through with the TSA and I don't want to risk having them confiscate my only gifts...)

So, I'm writing a letter to some kids I befriended in China. I'm taking my third semester of Chinese, but there are a few phrases I'm stuck on and none of my Chinese-speaking friends are currently available. So, how would I say, "I often think of you" and "I hope to visit you guys"? To provide some context for the last sentence- I'm planning to go back next summer and chances are very good I'll be able to visit them but I don't want to promise anything until I get more information.

Please use simplified Chinese for your answers; these kids are in the mainland. Thanks in advance for your help!

So, I'm composing a brief farewell note to my Chinese teacher using the vocabulary from my Chinese classes this year. This is what I'm planning to write, and I want to make sure everything is grammatically correct. If you can suggest a better way to phrase it (but using the same characters) please feel free to do so. Thanks so much for your help!

What I want to say: "Thanks for teaching us Chinese this year. Because you're such a good teacher, I really enjoyed the classes. I'm a little sad／unhappy that you have to go back to China, but I know you want to go home. I wish you the best."

Chinese version:

(Teacher),

谢谢您這個年教我中文.因為您是挺好老師, 所以我很喜歡中文課.我不高興一點兒您得回去中國,可是我知道您想回家.

祝你最好的,

(my signature here)

See my previous question for the details. Basically it's for a flyer for a Chinese dinner fundraiser. Though most of the people likely to attend will probably be non-Chinese speakers, I still want to make sure it's as accurate as possible.

Oh, and no Google Translate or any other online translators. I did try Google Translate for ideas, but I'd really prefer input from a fluent Chinese speaker.

Thanks!

Here's the backstory: I'm organizing a fundraiser dinner for a trip to China, and the theme is the Chinese New Year. I'm designing the flyers, and I want to put large, decorative Chinese characters in the upper half of the paper. Obviously, I would like those characters to be correct and authentic. The slogan I'm thinking of is something like "Feast of the Tiger" "Come celebrate the year of the Tiger," or maybe just "Happy New Year's" (新年快乐). Not really sure which one I'd pick, though. If you have any other ideas, feel free to share.

Oh, and if you could post your suggestion in simplified Chinese, I'd appreciate that too since my computer only has simplified fonts. Thanks!

I'm fixing up an antique trunk for a family friend. It's designed almost exactly like this one: http://www.dantesantiquerestorations.com/images/fu...

The wood on the lid and front has large blotches from some sort of liquid. Sanding helped somewhat, but they're still visible, albeit rather faint. What else can I do to get the blotches off?

Also, I plan to put a new stain on the thin wood planks; however, they've already been stained. I don't want to sand the old stain off; it's difficult and time-consuming. Is there an easier/better way?

Finally, the leather on the edges are quite dirty. I think there might even be some molding on them. What products or home remedies do you recommend for cleaning the leather? Cost is not much of an issue.

Thanks!

I'm working on knitting a light green and bright orange checkered blanket. The plan is to knit 20 or 24 blocks (4 x 5 or 4 x 6 squares, each block being about one foot long). When I'm finished, I'll need to sew the blocks together. I'm thinking of crocheting a dark brown border on each block.

Would you suggest I add a border? And if not dark brown, then what color do you think would be best?

Thanks!

OK. Now that I've got your attention:

I'm working on knitting a light green and bright orange checkered blanket. The plan is to knit 20 or 24 blocks (4 x 5 or 4 x 6 squares, each block being about one foot long). When I'm finished, I'll need to sew the blocks together. I'm thinking of putting a dark brown border on each block.

Would you suggest I add a border? And if not dark brown, then what color do you think would be best?

Thanks!

(Yes, I realize this is not a matter of life-or-death... but you wouldn't believe how few answers I got when I asked these questions about my blanket... I had to ask several times to get a decent number of opinions.)

(And yes, I realize this is the Religion and Spirituality section. I only picked this section 'cuz it usually gets way more people than the DIY or Polls section.)

I'm working on knitting a light green and bright orange checkered blanket. The plan is to knit 20 or 24 blocks (4 x 5 or 4 x 6 squares, each block being about one foot long). When I'm finished, I'll need to sew the blocks together. I'm thinking of putting a dark brown border on each block.

Would you suggest I add a border? And if not dark brown, then what color do you think would be best?

Thanks!

I've recently started knitting a 24-block quilt, in hopes of selling it (or perhaps giving it to a friend, should the occasion present itself). I have two 16 oz. skeins of yarn, one bright orange, one light green. Both colors are almost fluorescent (except they don't really "glow"). The blanket, according to this color combination, would be about 4" by 6".

Can you visualize that color combination "working"? I have a couple of friends who would LOVE it, but I have a feeling I should get more input before I go ahead with the rest of the project.

I could pick some other color to go with either green or orange, or both (my sister suggested brown), but then I would have to go out and buy more yarn. A lot more. :-)

So.... your take? Keep the orange and green, or try another color combination?

Thanks!

(FYI, yes, I did post this question before; I just want to get a little more input with this one.)

I've recently started knitting a 24-block quilt, in hopes of selling it (or perhaps giving it to a friend, should the occasion present itself). I have two 16 oz. skeins of yarn, one bright orange, one light green. Both colors are almost fluorescent (except they don't really "glow"). The blanket, according to this color combination, would be about 4" by 6".

Can you visualize that color combination "working"? I have a couple of friends who would LOVE it, but I have a feeling I should get more input before I go ahead with the rest of the problem.

I could pick some other color to go with either green or orange, or both (my sister suggested brown), but then I would have to go out and buy more yarn. A lot more. :-)

So.... your take? Keep the orange and green, or try another color combination?

Thanks!

Two questions:

1. Did C.S. Lewis ever say or write something like "We can expect it [theology] to be as complicated as physics"? I read the quote on one website but I cannot find it anywhere else.

2. What does the expression "You can't cheat an honest man" mean? I read this a while ago in one of Terry Pratchett's books. It was actually "You can't fool an honest man" but I've heard it more often as "You can't cheat an honest man." I'm having a hard time making sense out of this phrase. Can someone explain it, please?

Thanks!

Stupid question, perhaps? I'm curious because I have a couple relatives who act (or like to think they can act) and these relatives are... well... drama queens, to say the least. I wonder if this pattern is common among actors/actresses. Or maybe it's the other way around and the acting bug is more common among melodramatic people?? Or are my relatives just isolated cases?? Your input, please.

This is mainly aimed at non-Christians, because I am Christian and I've already encountered a LOT of hostility to my faith. Asking other Christians for more examples would be rather redundant. :-)

I'm asking because I have seen very few questions/answers targeting Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, etc. And I don't really know any non-Christians, although I'm acquainted with several. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that most of the aggravating questions/answers here are targeted at Christians and atheists/agnostics.

Whenever I hear of religious intolerance, it is usually directed at Christians-- probably because I live in a Christian community. So I'm trying to get viewpoints from other groups.

Hence, I'm looking for stories or incidents about hostility that non-Christians have encountered because of their beliefs. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks in advance. :-)

Hey folks, so I spend most of my time on Y!A on the martial arts section. I see tons of questions asking about self-defense. Whenever I find it in me to answer these questions, I tell them that there's more to self-defense than learning how to beat the crap out of someone. (Like, not getting into a situation where you have to defend yourself in the first place....) And don't even get me started on the MMA/UFC fanatics. 8-|

But I figure since cops have to deal with the very folks I try to avoid, I should ask them what they think about martial arts as self-defense.

So hit me with your opinions, and thanks in advance for your input.

Oh, BTW, even if you're not a LEO, you can answer anyway if you think you have something to offer.

Thanks!

I've heard a few girls complain that their period makes them moodier and more irritable. Of course, there are also some guys who believe that if a woman gets angry at them, it must be "that time of month," but they don't get periods, (and most likely they use it as an cop-out to take the blame off themselves) so I ain't listenin' to them.

I find it kind of strange because my period doesn't make me moodier. Sure, it can hurt, and it's gross, but it really doesn't affect my emotions. Maybe because I'm not very emotional in the first place. I also don't really see this 'moodiness' with most of the women I've known.

Mebbe this has more to do with PMS than with the period itself... can anyone explain to me in plain speech what's going on with girls who are emotionally affected by their period?

Go to this site and check out the boquet that the bride is holding.

http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o203/Akela_Timb...

I know it's not easy to tell from that photo, but if anyone can identify that plant or tell me of another flower that looks similar, I would appreciate it.

I know, I know, odd question. My sister came back from Australia recently and gave me a boomerang. (she got another one for my brother, who is in boot camp.) The man who sold her the boomerangs warned, "If it comes back, duck.... fast."

I'm aware that boomerangs can be dangerous; my sister was lucky she got them out of the country at all. :-)

However, my grandma claims that a boomerang can cut off a man's head. I'm not too sure about that, and I didn't find much on the Internet. So I thought I would ask here.

My particular boomerang is about 1 foot wide, rather heavy and thick, and it's apparently more artsy than weaponsy. But I'd just like to be forewarned before I actually throw it. ^_^

That is, if I decide to throw it at all... (if I do, it'll be out in a field away from people.)

All the top answerers have been removed and all of the questions past a certain point have been deleted. What the heck happened here?? Is this a glitch in my computer or something?

I’m probably opening a huge can of worms here, but I regularly see rude/immature answers on this section. While rudeness and obnoxiousness is endemic to Y!A, I find it rather ironic that this is in the marital arts section, and that it’s a bit more extreme here than most other sections (R&S and politics being notable exceptions), given that MA is supposed to be about respect, self-control, discipline, honor, etc.

I often see personal attacks, a lot of arguments, and a lot of badmouthing. I’m also frustrated with the approach that many regulars take to martial arts; they seem to think that the sole purpose of martial arts is fighting, and that their training automatically serves as a replacement for self-defense and street fighting. (BTW, it doesn’t.)

More or less, I also see this attitude: “I own the TRUTH™ about martial arts, and everyone else is full of $#&%! (Unless they agree with me.)”

Do any of you see this too?

Your thoughts?

(Thanks in advance for answering.)