Chinese-Forums.com - Five Years Old Today

[roddy]

Chinese-forums.com is officially five years old today. We started on May 23, 2003.

Half a decade ago. Wow. It's been amazing to watch the site grow and build a reputation for itself. Back when it started I didn't really have any particular hopes for it - I was just messing about during SARS-enforced leisure time. But it's just kept on getting bigger and better. Coming up for 140,000 posts, over 20,000 registrations - over 6000 of which have posted - and we're currently getting over 4,000 visits and between 100 and 200 new posts per day - I remember being surprised when we got 9 in a day. Now we get that many during breakfast.

Compare it with a lot of other sites on the Internet and it seems pretty small. But I think it is fair to say that the site has a name for itself in its niche and a loyal membership - it's good to note that despite the significant turnover you get with people learning Chinese, living in China, etc, we still have one hundred members who registered in our first year, and have still visited the site in the last twelve months.

This would of course have been impossible without you - the people who ask and answer, discuss and debate. Too numerous to name, but many thanks - not just from myself, but no doubt from everyone who has benefited from your posts over the years - besides those who actually participate there are many who just sit in the background and read.

So, Happy Birthday, us! And here's to the next five years

[skylee]

happy birthday.

[cdn_in_bj]

Happy Birthday to the site! I'm a relative newcomer, but I wanted to express my sincere thanks to our dear captain Roddy for keeping it running smoothly, as well as the other admins and fellow members that make this the best site for discussing Chinese and anything China-related!

[Luobot]

This would of course have been impossible with you

I'm sure you meant to say "withOUT you."

But with or without, 生日快乐!

[roddy]

Fixed

[dalaowai]

I'm glad that you created this site Roddy. Not a day goes by that I don't check what's up. A really great group of 中国通s we got going here.

Happy Bday website, may you spend many more years Sino'ing it up.

[semantic nuance]

I came across this site in November 2005, can't believe I'm still here!!

生日快樂!! 希望這個網站長長久久!!

[bottledpoetry]

happy birthday!!!

I can't imagine having to figure out living in china and schooling without this forum really.

[Shadowdh]

Many happy returns...!!!

And as this happy day also falls on the last day I will be in Wuhan I will make sure to have a beer or two this evening in honour of the occasion... Cheers

[elina]

Skylee, I’m curious why you did not sing a song this time as the last time?

Cribbing from Luobot:

But with or without a song, 生日快乐!

[atitarev]

Singing a Happy Birthday song :

Mandarin:

祝你生日快乐，祝你生日快乐

祝你生日快乐，祝你生日快乐！

Japanese:

御誕生日御目出度う、御誕生日御目出度う、

御誕生日御目出度う、御誕生日御目出度う！

(お誕生日おめでとう)

[o-tanjōbi omedetō]

Russian:

С днём рожденья тебя, с днём рожденья тебя,

С днём рожденья тебя, с днём рожденья тебя!

[z dnyom rozhden'ya tebya]

English:

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!

German:

Zum Geburtstag viel Glück, zum Geburtstag viel Glück,

Zum Geburtstag viel Glück, zum Geburtstag viel Glück!

[tsoom .. feel ...]

French:

Joyeux anniversaire, joyeux anniversaire

Joyeux anniversaire, joyeux anniversaire!

Arabic:

سنة حلوة يا جميل

سنة حلوة يا جميل

سنة حلوة, سنة حلوة

سنة حلوة يا جميل

(Sana ḥilwa ya jamīl

Sana ḥilwa ya jamīl

Sana ḥilwa, sana ḥilwa

Sana ḥilwa ya jamīl)

Korean:

생일 축하 합니다,생일 축하 합니다,

생일 축하 합니다,생일 축하 합니다!

[saeng-il chug-ha ham-ni-da]

생일[saeng-il] = 生日

[roddy]

Brilliant, I now realise (after seeing the earlier birthday topic) that I actually remembered wrong and the forums were created on the 24th, not the 23rd. How embarrassing.

Ah well, there's more people around on a Friday than a Saturday anyway. Let the celebrations continue

[rob07]

Happy birthday. Thanks and congratulations to Roddy and gang for creating the entertainment cornucopia that is this forum. Special mention must go to the Grand First Episode and Book of the Month group activities.

I started learning Chinese in May 2003, so my habit is pretty much exactly the same age as this forum. A double birthday!

[imron]

I now realise (after seeing the earlier birthday topic) that I actually remembered wrong and the forums were created on the 24th, not the 23rd

Well, technically, what with time differences and all, depending on when you set it up it might have still been the 23rd for some people

Happy Birthday Chinese-Forums!

[Lu]

Happy Birthday Chinese-Forums, and as roddy said, here's to the next five years!

[Senzhi]

Roddy, do you realise you're also 5 years older?

What I appreciate most about this site is that it has always been well maintained, compared to many other forums. A lot of forums out there become sooner or later a spitting machine of rant and spam.

But not this one.

Thank you Roddy & Co.

[liuzhou]

Happy Birthday!

The forum has been important to me in reassuring me that I am not alone; that I am not the only one baffled on a daily basis; not the only one in love with this crazy, ridiculous, fascinating, beautiful land.

Thanks, Roddy.

[renzhe]

:clap:clap

Happy birthday!

[aboooot]

Happy Birthday Chinese-forums.com!!!!

Thank you for being there!!

[YuehanHao]

Thanks to the site administrators and many helpful people who have regularly answered learners' questions during all this time.

约翰好