Gonna start a log to chart my progress in learning mandarin while abroad in china for the year, hopefully having somewhere where I'll be judged will act as motivation. Learning a language, progress is going to be a bit less tangible than fitness or poker so I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a useless mess and I can keep it interesting for everyone, if anyone wants to see/know more of anything in particular (Larry David misunderstandings, food, sights etc) let me know and I'll do my best!
Came over last tuesday armed with nothing but 15kg worth of luggage and a badass chinese name (da re, translation - big hot). I have some basic mandarin due to studying it for two years in college but being out here is a totally different experience to the scripted and sanitized classrooms I'm used to. Haggling over a pair of football boots is a bit different than describing myself in feet, inches and hair colour I guess. Classes haven't started yet so I've just been mooching about pretty much.
The first thing you notice when you land in Beijing is that you can't notice very much at all. The smog is really suffocating both in a visual and respiratory manner. First impressions were that beijing's a massive, unhygienic (not uncommon to see human shit on the footpath) and miserable city inhabited by tiny, unhygienic, miserable people.
Excuse the racist and hyperbolic last paragraph but seriously; it's taking some getting used to. Everyone smokes, everyone spits and everyone stares. Things like the toilets (of the hole-in- the-ground variety for the most part) and people coughing into your face are a bit of a shock for a young lad with south Dublin sensibilities such as myself. Another thing I've noticed is that Chinese people laugh at you and and tell you straight up that your mandarin is shite if they're having trouble understanding you. Don't think they do it in a malicious manner but still, thick skin needed methinks.
The Irish community here have been ridiculously welcoming thus far and both the embassy and enterprise ireland have been onto me and my classmates about meet ups etc. Have also joined the Gaa team so I'm wary of falling into a rut of pints and paddies but hopefully my efforts at meeting Chinese people will come good and I'll get to branch out a bit too.
Anyway my thumbs are sore as I'm posting from a iPod so I'll leave it here. Will try keep it updated and interesting!
Came over last tuesday armed with nothing but 15kg worth of luggage and a badass chinese name (da re, translation - big hot). I have some basic mandarin due to studying it for two years in college but being out here is a totally different experience to the scripted and sanitized classrooms I'm used to. Haggling over a pair of football boots is a bit different than describing myself in feet, inches and hair colour I guess. Classes haven't started yet so I've just been mooching about pretty much.
The first thing you notice when you land in Beijing is that you can't notice very much at all. The smog is really suffocating both in a visual and respiratory manner. First impressions were that beijing's a massive, unhygienic (not uncommon to see human shit on the footpath) and miserable city inhabited by tiny, unhygienic, miserable people.
Excuse the racist and hyperbolic last paragraph but seriously; it's taking some getting used to. Everyone smokes, everyone spits and everyone stares. Things like the toilets (of the hole-in- the-ground variety for the most part) and people coughing into your face are a bit of a shock for a young lad with south Dublin sensibilities such as myself. Another thing I've noticed is that Chinese people laugh at you and and tell you straight up that your mandarin is shite if they're having trouble understanding you. Don't think they do it in a malicious manner but still, thick skin needed methinks.
The Irish community here have been ridiculously welcoming thus far and both the embassy and enterprise ireland have been onto me and my classmates about meet ups etc. Have also joined the Gaa team so I'm wary of falling into a rut of pints and paddies but hopefully my efforts at meeting Chinese people will come good and I'll get to branch out a bit too.
Anyway my thumbs are sore as I'm posting from a iPod so I'll leave it here. Will try keep it updated and interesting!
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