你学中文了吗？

I am the first to tell people that I've been here for 12 years and my Chinese is elementary at best. I can talk to my doctor, order at a restaurant, talk to my taxi driver etc.. I cannot have a decent conversation with a Chinese person as I do in English.

I do have many close Chinese friends but I have been lucky enough to meet many friends who are able to speak English.

Have to say it but I do find the most people here who are really motivated to learn English are the guys looking to hook up with Chinese girls.

I pretty much only date Chinese guys but damn! You want to get with this, you better learn my language Bitch

Oh and this. I find some of those people here who speak Chinese and feel they are superior to me still have no knowldege of Chinese culture. I may not speak the best Chinese but my knowledge of their culture can compete with the best.

Speaking of their culture babala, do you know if there are things that foreigners do which annoy the locals?

Speaking of their culture babala, do you know if there are things that foreigners do which annoy the locals?

Well, in the same way that it bothers me the the Chinese get to the bottom of an escalator in a supermarket and then stop dead at the bottom so you can't get off; it probably bothers them when I body-check them and send them flying when they get in my way.

This may be just my personal experience, but the thing that really seems to bug my Chinese friends comes under the heading of stubbornness, or from my point of view, having a mind of my own. All those little instances when a Chinese person would back down or conform to maintain social harmony. If we provoke conflict, they can feel a bit uncomfortable.

However, I'm not sure that these things bug them nearly as much as their behaviour annoys us.

I think when we don't just accept the society norm and question why. I know a girl that was my translator to go with me to the hospital (long time ago) was horrified when I would question the doctor or refuse some treatment. No I do not need an IV for a sprained ankle

If we make any remark they consider to be knocking China in anyway (understandable).

Oh, and if you don't think that Chinese food is the best and healthiest food in the world

seems like the 中文cycle is back for a lot of folks. We decided to go with the 12 week challenge in my office where everyone picks a measurable goal and works on it over 12 weeks. I made mine "improve my Chinese"

The goal is that in 12 weeks, i will be able to pass the HSK Level 4 and get back all my Chinese that I've lost since i stopped doing bootcamps. I'm setting up a study program for it linked to my blogging meaning i'm gonna focus on studying through lyrics of rock songs at the rate of 1 new song a week, learned, memorised with all the characters and expressions understood.

gonna be an interesting way to go about it.

gonna be an interesting way to go about it.

I would like an update in 12 weeks. Curious how that will work out! Definitely a fun way to go about it. Maybe you could market the course after you do it.

seems like the 中文cycle is back for a lot of folks. We decided to go with the 12 week challenge in my office where everyone picks a measurable goal and works on it over 12 weeks. I made mine "improve my Chinese"

The goal is that in 12 weeks, i will be able to pass the HSK Level 4 and get back all my Chinese that I've lost since i stopped doing bootcamps. I'm setting up a study program for it linked to my blogging meaning i'm gonna focus on studying through lyrics of rock songs at the rate of 1 new song a week, learned, memorised with all the characters and expressions understood.

gonna be an interesting way to go about it.

Hey, speaking of which, do you have any websites with song lyrics in Chinese? If so, put them up.

I'm gonna weigh in on the issue of learning Chinese.

The way I see it, learning Chinese is the best way to integrate oneself into Chinese society. By learning Chinese, you can better understand Chinese people and Chinese people can better understand you. Not only does life become easier but it ultimately becomes richer and more fulfilling. 

If you're solely here for one purpose, such as working, drinking etc. then I suppose you don't need to learn Chinese. But you're already in China and it's such a unique experience that it would be such a shame if you didn't learn the language. You can be a wage slave/trained monkey anywhere, you might as well be sitting in a cubicle in the West if you have tons of free time and don't want to learn any Chinese at all.

It depends on what you mean by learning. I know enough Chinese to have small conversations with the other dog walkers, can order food, buy groceries and books, however, I do not have the spare time to become fluent simply because I spend more time reading for work. I see no reason why I should try so hard to integrate myself into a society that has rules for how long I can stay in said society.

I think when we don't just accept the society norm and question why.

My experience is really limited, but my observations at "the den" are that the Casino puts rules in place, and a large number of Asian folk work out ways to circumvent them.   They don't question, they just do. If they can get away with it without any discussion, all the better.  Their main object appears to be to get as much as they can, for free. I was told on the quiet, that certain rules are going to be changed at the end of this month and that a lot of people are going to be upset. I'll probably say more when it happens, but it really pi**es me off that a certain element have to screw with the system. No, I'm not being racist here, I'm just talking fact. That being said, there are of course other nationalities who have observed this behaviour and have joined the throng.

Hey, speaking of which, do you have any websites with song lyrics in Chinese? If so, put them up.

Nothing reliable or consistent. The baidu music player sometimes displays lyrics on the side but only for some of the songs.

So here is the first post in that series of Chinese through Lyrics
http://beijingdaze.com/chinese-through-lyrics/2013/03/12/rock-school-cui-jians-yi-wu-suo-you-dissected/

First stop had to be the one song that started it all, kind of: Cui Jian's Yi Wu Suo You ( Nothing to my Name)

let me know what you think..

Thanks dude. I'll let you know when I can get to them.

I'm definitely in ETR's camp. Most dogs in China understand more Mandarin words than I do. When I have free time I want to use it doing what I like most and that requires English language. Usually.

I would much prefer to learn more subtleties of my own language and the etymology of common words than to memorize a new one in the hope of reaching the level of a seven year-old. Besides I suck at rote memorization which is what this would entail for a while, I'm sure. Too old.

But, the few times I utter something close to Chinese words I'm usually met with either profound glee or roaring laughter. Both I take as appreciation for my lame efforts.