User Comments - marcojane
marcojane
Posted on: Why are You Studying Chinese?
March 17, 2011 at 11:28 PMI've been fascinated with the Chinese language ever since I was a small child. My mother read me classical Chinese poetry (in English). We had Chinese wood carvings from a student of my father's. I used to look at them and yearn to visit any place that could produce something so beautiful.
Then I got into languages for a living--French, Spanish--and taught English and French for 3 decades. Along the way, I picked up a smattering of a few more languages--Dutch (lived there for 8 months 33 years ago), German, Italian.
In my second life after retirement from teaching, I became fascinated with Tai Chi, so much so that I studied enough to become certified. I now teach it at our local YMCA. Finally, I realized a childhood dream and visited China on an adventure tour, even spending a night with a family. That experience only made me want to return. I returned again last year to study TCM and Qigong. Next August, I go again to study with a Grandmaster (original Chen Style).
Why learn Chinese? Childhood dream; to keep mind active; to speak with Tai Chi Masters, for the love of learning, and because it is a real challenge to begin learning Chinese at age 65.
Posted on: I love children!
February 19, 2011 at 10:40 PMIn RS, they teach me wán for the verb "to play." What is the difference if you add the "r"? Jane
Posted on: How to Address Someone
February 7, 2011 at 3:00 AMXiè xie. Makes sense. I'm sure he'll correct me with the Tai Chi as well as with my Mandarin.
Posted on: How to Address Someone
February 7, 2011 at 2:35 AMThanks. I will be a double learner--for his original Chen Style Tai 4Ji4 and for the Mandarin. You are right. That's the way we learn languages. you can study and study in a book and not be able to say anything but talk with someone for a few weeks, and one's language skills take several leaps and bounds. That is why in my French class, the last 6 weeks of the year, I forbade any English. I studied Spanish for several years but really learned it from gossiping with a Peruvian friend every week with her correcting me. Since there is no one in my home town with whom to practice my Mandarin, I'm going to have to eventually bite the financial bullet and get a Chinese Pod teacher.
Posted on: How to Address Someone
January 24, 2011 at 7:37 PMHow do you address a Tai Chi Grandmaster? A monk? a Taoist priest?
Posted on: How to Address Someone
January 20, 2011 at 6:57 PMOne more question... Why do you use ren4shi when asking if someone knows a character rather than zhi1dao4? I thought zhi1dao4 was for knowing things and ren4shi was for knowing people.
"Ni3 ren4shi zhe4 ge zi4 ma?"
Jane
Posted on: How to Address Someone
January 20, 2011 at 6:29 PMI'm going to be studying with a Tai Chi Grandmaster in the Wudang Mountains next summer. Tā zěnme chēnghu? What about some Taoist monks I'll be learning from in Beijing?
Thanks!
Marco Jane
Posted on: Cats Are Cool
January 16, 2011 at 9:40 PMYour voice dripped with disdain. Wǒ yǎng māo. Kù. Māo bǐjiào kù.
Posted on: Where's the soap?
January 11, 2011 at 12:40 AMThanks, Jason. I listened to the dialogue again and THIS time heard John mention that. So much for my listening skills. That's great. I was looking for the correct word to use for "take." I have this app on my phone "Hanping" Chinese dictionary and love it as it pronounces the words, but didn't know which one to choose. Which "ba" is the measure word?
Posted on: Why are You Studying Chinese?
March 17, 2011 at 11:42 PMQīng bāng wǒ! I can't get the exercises to work in this lesson.