Yeah, there aren't any final l's- in fact the only final consonants in Mandarin are n and ng- so those can sound a bit weird (not like r, though).  But there's plenty of medial l's, like mala, boluo… and birthplace of kungfu is of course Shaolin…

Yeah, there aren't any final l's- in fact the only final consonants in Mandarin are n and ng- so those can sound a bit weird (not like r, though).  But there's plenty of medial l's, like mala, boluo… and birthplace of kungfu is of course Shaolin…

Shit, looks like I came late

Shit, looks like I came late

Ha, 'tis true… for one thing, you can't click 'reply' here once you're four comments deep…

Ha, 'tis true… for one thing, you can't click 'reply' here once you're four comments deep…

In fact, I can shill for the Chinese government right now by saying… does what the US does really 'pale in comparison'?  In terms of sheer deaths, I don't think anything that's happened in China in the last 40 years beats the Iraq clusterfuck.  Does hearing about those deaths ('we don't do body counts' aside)…

In fact, I can shill for the Chinese government right now by saying… does what the US does really 'pale in comparison'?  In terms of sheer deaths, I don't think anything that's happened in China in the last 40 years beats the Iraq clusterfuck.  Does hearing about those deaths ('we don't do body counts' aside)…

I wouldn't assume that all the 'pro-China' kids are being paid for it.  Patriotism runs very high in China, particularly when it comes to 'my country versus your country' international disputes and, of course, internet arguments.  Lots of people might criticise the government on its own terms, in Chinese, but as soon…

I wouldn't assume that all the 'pro-China' kids are being paid for it.  Patriotism runs very high in China, particularly when it comes to 'my country versus your country' international disputes and, of course, internet arguments.  Lots of people might criticise the government on its own terms, in Chinese, but as soon…

Liebkartoffel: that's a difficulty in pronouncing 'r', which does indeed exist as I don't think any Chinese dialects have a sound that's quite like it.  But the 'l' in standard Chinese is much like the 'l' in English and I've never heard a Chinese person having a problem with it.

Liebkartoffel: that's a difficulty in pronouncing 'r', which does indeed exist as I don't think any Chinese dialects have a sound that's quite like it.  But the 'l' in standard Chinese is much like the 'l' in English and I've never heard a Chinese person having a problem with it.

Yes, because in the country in which Li Lianjie is a movie star, Lanzhou is a city, lamian is a tasty bowl of noodles, and foreigners are laowai, the people can't pronounce 'l'.

Yes, because in the country in which Li Lianjie is a movie star, Lanzhou is a city, lamian is a tasty bowl of noodles, and foreigners are laowai, the people can't pronounce 'l'.

It's not at all like LOTR, except that in this season there has been the occasional shot of people trekking across a snowy landscape.  I haven't actually seen many TV shows, but if I had to make a comparison I'd say it's more like Rome.  Intrigues, sex, occasional bloody violence.  But the main way that it isn't like…

It's not at all like LOTR, except that in this season there has been the occasional shot of people trekking across a snowy landscape.  I haven't actually seen many TV shows, but if I had to make a comparison I'd say it's more like Rome.  Intrigues, sex, occasional bloody violence.  But the main way that it isn't like…

Mance Rayder?  Wait, does this mean that even in the last episode of the season Jon STILL isn't going to meet him?  That means they've been building this guy up for two whole seasons… at this rate, there's only two ways he can live up to expectations: resurrecting Marlon Brando, or appealing to the sheer might of…

Mance Rayder?  Wait, does this mean that even in the last episode of the season Jon STILL isn't going to meet him?  That means they've been building this guy up for two whole seasons… at this rate, there's only two ways he can live up to expectations: resurrecting Marlon Brando, or appealing to the sheer might of…

I think you're definitely right about the poisoning, but I did quite like the thing about Cersei being a cancer.  From her at least reasonably cunning and in-control character in the first season, she seems to be heading increasingly into drunkenness and potentially unwise vindictiveness- and Jaime's capture and her…

I think you're definitely right about the poisoning, but I did quite like the thing about Cersei being a cancer.  From her at least reasonably cunning and in-control character in the first season, she seems to be heading increasingly into drunkenness and potentially unwise vindictiveness- and Jaime's capture and her…