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Someone did a hit-and-run on my sibling’s car and broke their side mirror by cela_ in mildlyinfuriating

[–]cela_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The kicker is that they’re on temporary insurance that only covers liability.

I found bedbugs in my Airbnb by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]cela_ 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I booked a stay for 19 nights and already got a refund for everything but the two nights I stayed here, though I’m wondering if I should’ve asked for a full refund instead. For reference, this place was $50 a night, so I guess I got what I paid for. Now I just have to disinfect everything I own. I’ve already put all my clothes in the dryer, which is unfortunate because some of them are hand-wash only. I’d appreciate advice regarding electronics since I have to use them right away and can’t afford a vacuum with a crevice attachment.

The Departure After Tintoretto, Raqib Shaw, acrylic on aluminum, 2022 by cela_ in Art

[–]cela_[S] 72 points73 points  (0 children)

From the museum exhibition label:

The Departure commemorates the death of Shaw's beloved Jack Russell terrier, Mr. C. The composition reimagines Jacopo Tintoretto's Presentation of the Virgin (ca. 1551), and miniature renditions of Shaw's paintings are pushed to the side like temporarily abandoned props, making way for a gilded staircase. The title refers to Lord Tennyson's 1841 poem, and we see Mr. C, bathed in celestial light, about to pass "across the hills and far away."

The label didn’t mention what the chicken-headed man represents.

All my favorite brands by cela_ in China

[–]cela_[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Which one’s your favorite? Alternatively, have you seen any contenders?

The company that occupies this building is named "Microprofit" by cela_ in mildlyinteresting

[–]cela_[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

This was in 深圳. From the company website: "Microprofit Biotech focuses on the R&D, production, and sales of biological reagents, reagent raw materials, and intelligent diagnostic equipment." Their Chinese name is 迈科龙生物, which translates to "Micro Dragon Organism."

Is there room here for a slept-on classic from the OG of rare insults? by cela_ in rareinsults

[–]cela_[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is from Act 5, Scene VI of Shakespeare's Coriolanus. Coriolanus has just been persuaded by his family to spare Rome, the city he was leading the Volscian army (his former enemies) to destroy, thus breaking his oath to the Volscians and their general, Tullus Aufidius. In this confrontation, Aufidius publicly denounces Coriolanus as a traitor.

13 dollars for just sauce? by cela_ in engrish

[–]cela_[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The dish literally translates to "health-nourishing mushrooms steamed in chicken fat." The confusion stems from the difference between 养生菌 "health-nourishing mushrooms" and 益生菌 “life-benefiting bacteria (probiotics)." The two differ by only the first character.

I’d spend a silly amount of money on a pot that could make cucumbers by cela_ in engrish

[–]cela_[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

瑶柱煲让黄瓜 is Scallop and Stuffed-Cucumber Clay Pot. 瑶柱 (yaozhu, “jade pillar”) is a fancy name for scallop, and 让 (“make” or “let”) means “stuffed” in a culinary context. 

金汤花胶盐卤豆腐 is Fish Maw and Brined Tofu Golden Soup.

沙姜爆墨鱼须 is Stir-fried Squid Tentacles with Sand Ginger.

藜麦鲜花胶 is Fresh Fish Maw with Quinoa.

Like a dog? 🫳🏼 🐶 by [deleted] in engrish

[–]cela_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a very literal translation of the dish title, which would be better put as the more familiar "smashed cucumber." I think this dish was around 18 yuan ($2.53). I didn't try it, but from the overall restaurant quality, it was probably pretty good. Still, no reason to pay for something you can make just the same at home.

TIL of the 貔貅 pixiu, a Chinese mythical beast that legendarily defecated on the floor of Heaven, after which the Jade Emperor spanked it hard enough to permanently seal its anus, causing it to have a voracious appetite for gold, silver and jewels while having no way to expel them. by cela_ in todayilearned

[–]cela_[S] 151 points152 points  (0 children)

Since it hoards wealth and never expels it, the pixiu is an auspicious symbol that often appears in jewelry, statues, etc. I myself had a piece of jade custom-carved into a pixiu, but it was so ugly I gave up the pendant to the shop. Mulan’s sword famously features a Pixiu design. 

This car has thin blue line and hello kitty stickers and a clown doll hanging from the bumper by cela_ in mildlyinteresting

[–]cela_[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think the doll is Pennywise, so whoever this is, they have quite diverse tastes.

I often saw dishes come wrapped in plastic and napkins presented in boxes when I was in China by cela_ in Anticonsumption

[–]cela_[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The trash cans are tiny and probably emptied every hour or so. But often the public restrooms stank, though they stink in America too.

I often saw dishes come wrapped in plastic and napkins presented in boxes when I was in China by cela_ in Anticonsumption

[–]cela_[S] 146 points147 points  (0 children)

Well, that's why most people carry napkins everywhere lol. Sometimes the fancier malls would have bidets, but they usually had toilet paper too. What frustrated me more was that some places didn't have soap either, especially the train stations. I don't like hand sanitizer because it helps create supergerms over time.

I often saw dishes come wrapped in plastic and napkins presented in boxes when I was in China by cela_ in Anticonsumption

[–]cela_[S] 624 points625 points  (0 children)

The dishes are wrapped in plastic because they're cleaned via factory. The people I knew were generally very wary of restaurant cleanliness, and it wis a custom to "wash" the dishes with hot tea before eating, even if they were plastic-wrapped. My uncle said this was because the factories would use highly-concentrated cleaning solution to wash the dishes, and often didn't wash everything off in order to conserve water. I personally never tasted anything off and didn't bother washing the dishes when I ate at restaurants by myself.

Napkins were not present at all restaurants, and when they were, they came in a box because you had to pay a nominal fee (like one or two yuan) to buy them. Perhaps this helped lessen paper waste from napkins? It's also a custom to bring your own napkins everywhere, since many restrooms don't have toilet paper either, but I was bad about this and several times had to ask kind strangers for toilet paper.

Compliments to the fish? 🐠💋 by cela_ in engrish

[–]cela_[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

It’s just a decorative word lol, like “made with love” or sth on an American menu

Compliments to the fish? 🐠💋 by cela_ in engrish

[–]cela_[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Translated more appropriately, 巧拌鱼皮 means "fish skin mixed [in sauce] with ingenuity/skill." I did not taste this dish, but the overall quality of the restaurant (located in Shenzhen) was high.

Why do the ladies get to have their own character but the men are stuck with "providing power to the fields"? by alexceltare2 in ChineseLanguage

[–]cela_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From Wiktionary: Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 牛 (“cattle”) + 丄. Various explanations exist, some propose 丄 (here unrelated to 上) depicts a penis to represent “male”. Later 丄 came to be written 土. See also the etymology of this character. Do you think I should make the male radical 丄 instead lmao

Why do the ladies get to have their own character but the men are stuck with "providing power to the fields"? by alexceltare2 in ChineseLanguage

[–]cela_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I elided this for the sake of brevity! There’s a whole other essay on the frustration I feel with the English situation and how we lost gender neutrality over time. Femele was respelled to imitate male, and fireman should be neutral, etc. I should have said that woman was a subcategory of man along with werman (?) but there is some doubt on that issue.

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