My 厉害 Husband

As anyone who has studied language knows, some words do not easily translate back and forth between languages. Sometimes, though they have similar meanings, societal connotations do not carry the same weight. For instance, when Koreans translate translate "kimchi" they often refer to it as "fermented cabbage". Wow...that makes me want to try it...(note the sarcasm). In English, the word fermented makes us think of something that has gone rotten (except in cases of wine or other alcohols). In Korean, I believe they think of something that has aged or intensified in flavor. (By the way, though Kim Chi is not my favorite, I know many foreigners who greatly enjoy it.)

"厉害", pronounced "li hai", in Chinese is one of those words that just doesn't translate well. Literally, it means "fierce", but can carry many different connotations. Most favorably, it means someone who is clever beyond belief.

Right before Chinese New Year our school staff had a party to celebrate the new year, and a significant portion of the party was a show of entertaining acts for the rest of us to enjoy. My husband, ever the performer, shocked us all by telling us a story completely in Chinese! Even I did not know he could do something like this, and he kept the whole thing a secret until he walked on stage. The story was highly entertaining and contained a bunch of puns that make the Chinese laugh even if we foreigners don't quite understand them all.

If you listen closely to the Chinese people near the camera, you can hear them talking about how "li hai" he is--needless to say his Chinese teachers are bursting with pride-and so am I!

Hope you enjoy. Oh, and by the way, it comes with subtitles. :-)