Tag Archives: learning Chinese
始
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
