On Facebook I recently linked to a Ted.com article about how speaking different languages affect your brain. In the article they use an example of Mandarin and how people address the family. In China there is no generic grandma, grandpa, uncle etc. Instead every person has a different name based
You're on Color! (Our new bet)
A few months ago, I said that my best friend Color won a bet we had started almost two years prior. (My punishment is going to be that I have to cook thai food for him. It could have been worse!) A few years is a long time to continue
Learning English by Using Chinese
My little hairdresser was looking at my Chinese textbook the other day, and noticed that I had written pinyin (or the alphabet version of the words pronunciation) under the Chinese characters so I could pronounce them. “You know, I used to do this with my English homework,” he said. “What,
A Brief Moment in Chinese Class
I’ve written about some funny things my students have said recently, but what about my teacher? Almost everyday I take Chinese class and some funny stuff goes down in class, albeit not intentional at times. You see, my teacher is as traditional as they come. He thinks women shouldn’t be
Life in the Advanced Class
Oy, sorry little neglected blog. Between teaching (and prepping class) learning chinese and dealing with all the demands on my time, my blog has been slightly lonely. That’s what happens when you fall asleep at 9pm. (Yes, that happened to me twice this week. I didn’t even mean to! I
My HSK 5 Results *sad face*
And……………I didn’t make it. I failed HSK 5 by 11 measly points. That’s like 4-5 questions. I knew it was going to be close and I knew I would either just pass or just fail. But I was hoping for the pass. This was my score: Listening: 59 Writing: 59
The Incestuous Group of Youtubers I Learn Chinese From
Awhile ago I came across a youtube clip done by two Chinese called Off The Great Wall. It’s Dan and Carmen, two young people who are Chinese but have spent most of their lives living abroad. They speak English natively and do funny/interesting videos about Chinese culture, language, and other
Finally F&*$^%# Over! I Took the HSK 5!!!
So today I finally took the dreaded HSK 5 test. I have no idea how I actually did. Like I said before all I need is a 60. In all my practice tests I have been getting a score right around the 60 range, but they say the practice tests
Getting Discouraged with the HSK
As of today, I have 2 weeks until I take the HSK 5, a chinese language test. I’ve been technically preparing for months, but only seriously for the past 6 weeks. Every day I try to do some exercises, take a part of a practice test, memorize some new words.
Is Communication Fate?
As my Chinese is getting better, and I’m making more chinese friends, a thought has been taking shape. Is ease of communication an indication of who I should be friends with? Let’s face it, speaking chinese with me is not easy. You have to work at it. You have to