[Listening Practice] College Diaries Saga - Part 1: Yang Jie

I have decided to make a collection for these mini ChinesePod lessons because I've really been enjoying them! They crack me up, and the vocab is fairly easy too.

Click on the 🔊鏈接 link to the Spotify if the embed doesn't work.

第一部：楊潔的日記 《每個人都在談戀愛》🔊鏈接

大學裡每個人都在談戀愛。但是我們班的男生太丑了，都是書呆子。
特別是王偉。除了讀書，什麽都不知道。
不過李燕好像很喜歡他，每天都和他一起吃飯，看書。
我覺得這樣太無聊了，一點兒都不浪漫。

Vocab:
談戀愛 | tánliàn'ài | to date
書呆子 | shūdāizi | bookworm, nerd (lit. bookish fool)
浪漫 | làngmàn | romantic

Things to note:
男生/女生 usually refers to younger people (who are still studying) as opposed to 男人/女人 which is more for adults.

Thoughts:
First diary entry, and oh the love triangle set up! Quite easy to understand, the word 書呆子 is very fun to me I can't believe I hadn't come across it before.

Some great grammar bits to keep in mind such as 都 to emphasise everything/one/time (每個人都 all of everyone, 每天都 every day always) and 都不 to denote nothing/not at all (什麽都不知道 doesn't know anything, 一點兒都不浪漫 not romantic in the slightest).

Next up is Part 2: Li Yan

[Listening Practice] College Diaries Saga - Part 2: Li Yan

Part 2 is here, let's meet Li Yan!

第二部：李燕的日記《愛和意大利菜》🔊鏈接

今天天氣很好，不過我的心情更好！因為今天王偉請我吃了意大利菜。
他真會享受，不像班裡的其他男生，他們都很土。
我想我開始喜歡他了，但是他好像喜歡楊潔。上課的時候他總是看她。

Vocab:
享受 | xiǎngshòu | to enjoy
土 | tǔ | earth, unsophisticated

Things to note:
The word 享受 is "to enjoy" but in a way that implies discernment or sophistication, something that is meaningful, which contrasts with the 土 used later in the sentence. 土 implies simplicity and plainness ("country bumpkin" was used in the pod to sort of explain the tone, it was also translated as "dorky"). Note that, while 土 literally means earth, it is not used to mean "down-to-earth", but more earthy like a peasant.

Thoughts:
Oh Li Yan, she seems like an interesting girl, but I don't know if she has a future with Wang Wei...

I like the use of 好像 in these diary entries, 他好像喜歡楊潔 it "seems" that he likes Yang Jie, Li Yan is not sure, but that's what it seems like to her. I also liked the 很好 and 更好 at the start, good and even better! Sometimes I forget 更 exists haha.

Part 1: Yang Jie | Part 3: Wang Wei