Class and Some Stories

Hey! Since it has been a week since my last post, this one may be a bit long.

As of today, I have had a week's worth of language classes, which I have enjoyed immensely. Mandarin can be a difficult language, but I have been told by my teachers that I am doing very well. During this first week we focused on the four tones as well as the pinyin. The pinyin is used for non-Chinese speakers in an effort to help you pronounce the word correctly, as well as to recognize which tone to use. Here is a brief description of the four tones, using a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest pitch of your voice:

1st tone - pitch is relatively high and is kept level (5 to 5)
2nd tone - rises from mid-pitch to high (3 to 5)
3rd tone - mid-low pitch drops down and then rises to a mid-high pitch (2 to 1 to 3.5)
4th tone - falls sharply from a high pitch to a low pitch quickly (5 to 1)

Our teacher has said that we will most likely be in the pronunciation portion of the book for another two weeks, which is good considering most people take five to six weeks with pronunciation. So far my biggest two struggles have been with the "c" and "r" consonants. The "c" is suppose to sound like the 'ts-h' in 'it's-hot.' And the "r" is suppose to sound like the 'z' in 'azure' or the 'j' in 'jaune.' And it has also been a little difficult when trying to read twenty words to remember the correct sound to use with the vowels. Meaning an "i" sounds like 'e' as in 'see,' an "ei" sounds like an 'a' as in 'weigh,' and an "ai" sounds like 'i' as in 'aisle.' So, it has been a little bit of a challenge so far, and will continue to be one I am sure, but I know that those challenges will only help to make me a better communicator in Chinese.

So, today I had the opportunity to go with two foreign families, whom I met a few weeks ago through mutual friends, to an international contemporary art show. The art show was free and was at this place that had several buildings all within one complex, and the art was displayed in forty different rooms. I enjoyed the exhibits and thought it was the perfect day to go since it was raining all day. Tonight after the art show I was invited out to dinner with one of the families and they took me to a wonderful French restaurant (the cook is actually French). I had an amazing ham and cheese omelet with hash browns for my meal, and then we all split creme brulee and hazelnut chocolate mousse for dessert. I picked up the business card for this restaurant so in the future I can show it to a cab driver to take me there again. I also learned how to say my neighborhood and apartment complex in Chinese tonight, since those are two important things to know when needing a cab (even if you cannot speak the language). The family I was with made sure the cab driver understood where I was going before we parted ways, and I just enjoyed the night scenery of the city on the drive home. And for those of you worried about me, it is very safe here to take a taxi at night. I have also added some pictures from today to the 'Pictures Around Town in China' photo album - check them out when you have a chance.

I wanted to share another quick story with you. There is a little quick mart at the west gate to my apartment complex that I occasionally stop at to pick up something I have forgotten at the store. A husband and wife run the store and know that I am new to Xi'an and that I cannot speak Chinese yet. So, the other day I went in to get a Lime flavored water and a Mandarin Orange flavored water. I looked for them on the shelf and when I couldn't find them, I figured they were sold out, so I was in the process of getting a plain water when I realized that the wife had run over to a stock of supplies that had just come in and came back with the Lime and Mandarin Orange waters. She looked at me and smiled and nodded waiting to make sure that was what I wanted. I nodded yes, paid, and walked out of the store with a smile on my face. I have only been here three weeks, and this woman has already taken an interest in knowing what I like and trying to make sure that she has it for me. It is also in moments like that when I realize that you can still communicate with people without having to speak their language.

Also, as promised from previous blogs, I am including a few more insights into things I have observed in this culture.

* When entering a home, you must remove your shoes. For a foreigner hosting a Chinese friend or vice versa, you are to have house slippers available for your guests to wear while in your home

* Dates on food containers include both a production date as well as an expiration date. If an item has only one date on it, then it is the production date

* Milk is only sold here in bags (pure milk from the cow) or boxes (what we know as shelf milk), and will not be found in the refrigerator, but on the shelves. The box milk is good for a year, but must be refrigerated once it has been opened

* Most of the Chinese people have really long fingernails, or at least one fingernail that is really long (longer than acrylic nails that women have put on)

Wishing you a wonderful and restful weekend - you will be hearing from me again next week.