Learning Mandarin

'The Arduous Path Towards Mandarin Proficiency'

More than two months have passed since my arrival and I feel like I have only scratched the surface, in regards to learning about Chinese culture. Four important developments have taken shape in the past week:

1) I have started taking private Mandarin lessons, on a weekly basis.

2) After testing out several gym facilities, one has been found which is basically deserted and has dumbbells which weigh more than 25lbs!

3) After some arguments about the level of difficulty and usefulness of learning a Chinese Martial Art, one of my co-workers finally convinced me to take a Sambo class with him. We go for an hour and a half lesson, five times a week. I will do a proper update on Martial Arts in China later on. All I can say is that I could barely walk up the stairs or hold a pen after the first few lessons. There’s something to be said about being punched and roundhouse kicked into shape!

4) My siestas now take place on the balcony, thanks to the Vietnamese hammock and continued +30degree weather.

Mandarin is much harder to learn then I anticipated. The tones, varying dialects, speed and plethora of characters, are some major hurdles to overcome. From my observations the majority of foreigners who come to China to work, do not invest the time or energy in learning the local language. You would be surprised how easy it becomes to use body language and "jigga, jigga's" (that, that), in order to go about your daily business. At the bare minimum I want to learn enough 'survival' Mandarin in order to travel, haggle and order food (without playing the point and guess menu game). Hopefully when the Spring break arrives in January (four week holiday), I will know enough Mandarin to feel comfortable traveling North, via rail, to Beijing.