Popup Chinese

Elementary: Consoling a Friend

Providing emotional support isn't exactly our forte here at Popup Towers, and it probably isn't wrong to call our philosophy closer to the sink-or-swim variety. But when an esteemed listener wrote in requesting a lesson on how to console a distraught friend, we couldn't say no. So if you're curious how to handle yourself the next time a Chinese-speaking friend suffers a nervous breakdown, we have your back with this podcast. Because life will probably get better for them. Maybe.

maminglei

said on

July 7, 2012

Yet another fantastic lesson! I really loved this 像个男人点儿。丢不丢人？ This is just a perfect line and I can come up with so many use cases already... I just wish my cantonese friends will be able to comprehend. By the way, what would right term for that disgusting thing they do, growing one finger nail extra long? 养甲？

Echo

said on

July 7, 2012

@maminglei,

You can say 养指甲. I never understand why would people do that.

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com

maminglei

said on

July 7, 2012

@Echo

Thanks, this will help me to make fun of my friends! I actually have one very good friend, who is otherwise in perfectly normal mental health, and also pretty smart guy, but he likes to keep his two little fingers' nails long. It's very handy on lot of things he claims... Could it also be to show that he's not working on any physical labor?

Echo

said on

July 8, 2012

@maminglei,

Hmm... maybe it's just because of the convenience.

--Echo

echo@popupchinese.com

睹善

said on

July 25, 2012

I've heard long fingernail(s) advertises they do not do physical labor. I saw it on few engineers in Guangdong.

Down South

said on

August 2, 2012

Almost everyone in 广州 have long fingernails. Apparently they come in very useful for many different things. I have personally observed the following uses: Picking their ears, Picking their noses, Picking someone else's nose (often a child or girlfriend). I came to the conclusion it is to reach all those hard-to-reach places.