Tag Archives: learning Chinese

One of the first things I could read was the name of my first city, 烟台,and whenever I see it on departures boards, it always looks like a little guy coming home to his little house Continue reading

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Turing Test, HSK Test

You know that philosophy puzzle called the Chinese Room about the definition of AI? It basically ask if you don’t speak Chinese, but have sufficient dictionaries and translation resources to fake it to people who don’t see your 老外 face, … Continue reading

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Language Acquisition or Whatever

Me taking HSK practice exams: Yeah! 加油! Go me! I’m so good at Chinese! Me listening to native Mandarin at natural speed: Uh, what?  慢说. 我说的不好。   Right now, I’m studying the vocabulary for the HSK 1 exam. A lot of … Continue reading

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Res Gestae, 2015

At Christmas time last year, I was working at Youth Digital, and really enjoying my work, with no expectations that anything would change in the near future. I felt like all my varied skills as an educator, game reviewer, tech journo, and game developer all … Continue reading

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Essential Chinese: He Has Already Paid

I’ve started working a couple days a week at a Chinese restaurant near my house. Now, I’ve complained a great deal about how freaking slow everything is in the south, but that’s working in my favor as I earn endless praise for being mildly efficient … Continue reading

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Grass Mud Horse

I picked up a basic Chinese language CD from the library, and started listening to it in the car on the way home. The CD promised to cover basic phrases and words, and I expected to brush up on my … Continue reading

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Iron Man Vs. Mandarin

Can not stop laughing at this. (Hey, Mandarin is my superpower, too! I’m going to save the world!) Poor Tony is going to be extra pissed when he realizes that he’s studying Traditional and not Simplified. Awesome picture via irenydrawsdeadpeople … Continue reading

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Scenes From Imaginary China

I came across this book when I was home in New Jersey cleaning out my old room. (Yeah, my mom said something about how I haven’t lived there in ten years and she’d really like a guest room and that … Continue reading

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Elevator Confession

Every time I go to Chinese school, I take the elevator to my classroom, just to use my elevator Chinese phrases. I can’t figure out if I do it to keep up my elementary Chinese, or just to watch the … Continue reading

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Everyday Expressions

When I first went to Yantai, I imagined I’d come home and slip effortlessly into fluent Mandarin to quote ancient Chinese wisdom. Fortunately for people who have to put up with me, that didn’t happen. A few characters have somehow … Continue reading

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