What was it about his in-law's apartment that put Derek on edge? The kitchen was small but serviceable and the rest of the apartment didn't seem to lack any amenities: the living room had a television and pull-out sofabed, a wireless router provided steady Internet access, and a fridge and washing machine stood tucked into a tiny alcove near the door. At only fifty square meters it wasn't exactly a place he would choose to live himself, but why should even a short visit give him such a strange sense of unease?
 said on
March 20, 2012
Double negatives and toilets; brilliant!

Thanks guys. This was fun.
 said on
March 21, 2012
Just what is the difference between 卫生间, 洗手间 and 厕所? Is 洗手间 a more polite word for example?
 said on
March 21, 2012
@johnb3345,

There is no big difference between 卫生间 and 洗手间, just people in different places using different words.

But these two are different from 厕所. They are more polite while 厕所 is more casual.

--Amber

amber@popupchinese.com
 said on
March 21, 2012
@Amber,

我有个朋友说一定要尽量不说“厕所”这个词,因为会让人联想到过去的肮脏的厕所,他说现在中国人比较喜欢说,卫生间,这是对的吗?
 said on
March 22, 2012
@Xiao Hu,

哈哈,没错。一般情况下是这样,但是要是跟特别好的朋友或者家人在一起的时候,要是说卫生间就显得太生疏啦~~

--Amber
 said on
January 4, 2014
This lesson's vocab leads me to the question if

哦爸妈在来.

could mean: Obama is coming.

or just: Oh (shit) , (my)parents are coming!

and: the question about the washing is still unanswered: How many households in China's towns do you estimate are without toilet? Are there public facilities for it?

It was a pleasure to listen to this podcast.