Summer’s officially arrived and what am I doing everyday?! Studying for the HSK level 5 Chinese test. And not just studying but studying my ass off. I’ve never studied for something like this, and frankly it’s pissing me off. I’m
One Little Character Makes All the Difference
I went out to dinner the other night with my Chinese friend who can’t speak English. I ordered a few of my favorite dishes and told him to choose some as well. But I had to be careful with him
Long Time, No See 好久不见
Did you know the English phrase “Long time, no see,” actually comes from a Chinese phrase? It’s true. But it has been a long time, no see, my dear readers. Probably thought I was off doing something cool, eh? Alas
Making it Official: My New Goal
Okay, I have thought long and hard about this and after looking things up on the internet and talking to several people I have decided to make a major commitment: On July 21st, I am going to take the HSK
Impromptu Chinese Lesson
You would think that living in China while learning Chinese means I get a lot of practice. In some ways I do (and I certainly could never learn the language if I didn’t live here) but in many ways, it
My Favorite Apps for Working and Living in China- Part 2
The other day I introduced several apps that I find make life in China easier. Today I’d like to recommend a few more specific to learning Chinese. While I like learning Chinese I’m especially bad a picking up a book
I Hired a Tutor!
So, I finally decided to fork over the cash, and get my own chinese teacher. You see, speaking Chinese is now a common thing in my life. I speak, or write, Chinese every single day now. Sometimes a lot, sometime
Dating in China
I’ve been keeping my dating life on the DL because, well, I guess I’m a little shy to talk about it on the internet where everyone can see (Hi mom and dad). But the truth is, western women dating Chinese
Another Weapon in the Language Learning Arsenal — FluentFlix
A few months ago a new start-up Chinese learning company called FluentFlix contacted me wondering if I would try, then review, their new website. (I give kudos to their research team if they managed to find my blog.) I finally
Life of a Student
So I have been in Kunming studying Chinese for two weeks. While I will write a longer review of the school later, I just wanted to give a two week update because this whole experience has been amazing. Turns out