Learning Mandarin

Sign outside Shanghai #3 Girls'School

What do you think this old Chinese pictograph means?

Mandarin Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, almost a billion people speak it!  Chinese is written using characters, a language of pictographs. Lucky for us, Pinyin is also a way of writing Chinese using the Roman alphabet. Because the pinyin system was officially adopted in China in 1958, we can read the letters and understand the written sounds of Mandarin when it is written in Pinyin.  Learning how to pronounce the words and using the right tones is the challenge.

Example:
Ni hao  (nee how) Hello  We can understand the consonant sounds, we just need to know how to pronounce the vowels and blend sounds correctly and of course we need to study vocabulary and sentence structure.
 Xin nian kuai le! (sheen nee-ehn kwaee-luh)  Happy New Year!

The subway  is packed!

Leaving the subway is also crowded.

 I, Jeanie,  started taking Mandarin classes six weeks ago.  I go every weekday from 9:00-12:30.  I can either take the subway (takes 20 min.),

  Or I can walk to school through Jingan Temple Park! 

Dancing in large or small groups is a daily sight in the park

People in the park doing their eye exercises, really!

Jingan Temple a midst high rises

Shanghai Center

I-Mandarin is the name of my Chinese Program.  We meet at the Shanghai Center.




 My group class consists of Charlie from Australia and me.  Our teacher is fantastic!  She is energetic, explains things well in English, expects us to converse in Chinese, and holds us to high standards.

Charlie and Laoshi (teacher)

Laoshi, Ling Yen

Jeanie's essay in pinyin about where she lives.

Ling Yen gives us homework every night and we write three essays per week, not with Chinese characters, but in Pinyin (Roman alphabet).


Learning Chinese has been fun, yet challenging.  The minute I think I know something, I practice it with a shopkeeper, and most times, they don't understand what I'm saying. The four tones to the Chinese language are really difficult.


 However, I am beginning to make a little sense, so I keep trying!  Ken had success yesterday when he asked the waiter, Qing, maidan  (Cheeng, my dahn.)  Bill, please! He indeed got the bill.

I will continue to take Mandarin lessons through out 2013.  The cost is about $15 per hour for a group class, only 2 of us in the group, sort of like private tutoring

Practice:

Ni Hao Ma? ( Nee how ma) How are you?
Most people respond:  Hen hao  (hen how)  = very well
or try this fun word:

Mamahuhu  (mamahoohoo)= so, so (direct translation is horse, horse, tiger, tiger:)

Another useful phrase is:
Duo shao qian?  (doo oh shaow chee-en)  How much is it?
If you don't understand the response, just point to shopkeeper's big calculator. And then punch in a price that is much less than the asked price.  From there, your bargaining begins!

Much of Mandarin is very logical:
Dian= electricity
Dianti= elevator (electric ladder)
Diannao= laptop (electric brain)
Dianying= movie (electric shadow)

Confucius Temple  Neighborhood  in Nanjing

It's been a privilege to be able to spend my days learning another language and culture. It's exciting and frustrating all at the same time.

"Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere."  ~Chinese proverb

Nanjing, former Chinese capital, at night

Zai jian (zy jee -en)  See you again,

Jeanie

Lanterns of Nanjing

Next time:  Chinese New Year, the year of the Snake

Thailand

 Thailand in December:  4 hour flight from Shanghai, $500 per person round trip. So many places to visit, so little time.

Water taxi to many tourist sights

First Stop:  Bangkok for two nights 

Stayed for two nights at The Shangri La Hotel

Chao Praya River, view from hotel room

Ornate facade of the Grand Palace

Fairy-tale like compound of the Grand Palace,
 includes the former residence of the Thai monarch

Wat Phra Kaew, temple of the Emerald Buddha

Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn


Second Stop:  Island of Koh Samet, 3 hour bus ride from Bangkok ($5.00 per person round trip) and 30 minute ferry ride away ($3.00 round trip), three nights

Warm evening on Koh Samet

Koh Samet is surprisingly underdeveloped.  Thick jungles, wooded trails, warm, clear aquamarine water, ideal place to relax.

Ken reaches the second highest point on island

Jeanie barely reaches high point

We could never do this in America...
restaurants move their tables right onto the sand

Grand View Resort Cabin, $128 per night

  

Fun place to sit and relax!

Amazing December Sunset

Thai and foreigners gather on the beach to eat seafood and watch fire shows

Third Stop:  Back to Bangkok for two more nights

Jeanie celebrates her 53rd birthday, December 31, in Bangkok
Hotel Restaurant, Ramada Inn on the River, $104 per night

Night View from Banyan Tree Hotel

Sunset at the roof top bar, Banyan Tree Hotel 

  We enjoyed a canal Long-Tail Boat ride past the floating weekend market.

What we loved about Thailand:  the people, the smiles, the food, the warmth. Come visit us in Shanghai, and take a trip to Thailand. 

Up Next:  Learning Mandarin...

 If you'd like to contact us, email at:

jschneider98407@gmail.com   or  ken.schneider147@gmail.com

Please don't use our old comcast email address.

Christmas in China

Merry Christmas Family and Friends,

We wish you the most peaceful of days during a most stressful time in the U.S.A.  

We grieve deeply for the loss of lives in Connecticut.

Life size minis on tree!

Christmas in China is indeed sparkly and bright.  Shopping centers, of which there are many, are fully decorated and shine brightly.

  

Toys and ornaments abound

Slender Santa in China

Even with with glitz and glimmer in Shanghai, Christmas is not commonly celebrated.

 There are no days off during the Christmas week.  Christmas is just another day.

Most BRIGHT CITY we have experienced

For the Chinese, gift giving, time off, and time with family is celebrated on Chinese New Year which begins on February 10, 2013.    

Shanghai Community Fellowship (SCF)

For Christians, however, this is still a special day.  We light the advent candles at Shanghai Community Church, we celebrate the coming of Jesus into our lives:  John 1:14 ( The Message) "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood."  We worship a God who knows us, loves us, and who desires to be known and loved.

Mudu Garden in Suzhou

In China, we are able to worship with others who hold a foreign passport at afternoon services.  Chinese nationals are invited to attend the Chinese services at the church in the morning or evening.  This is a government mandate, not a church mandate.  We can fellowship with Chinese believers and seekers at home groups or outside of church events.  The Chinese we have met are open to learn about Christianity, and are always eager to learn more about western ways.

This Christmas, we will be spending a warm holiday in Thailand; one of the wonderful perks of residing in Asia.

We pray for the LIGHT to shine brightly in your hearts and homes,

Ken and Jeanie

Food in Shanghai

Ni Hao Family and Friends,

             We have completed our third week in

 Shanghai.   This week's topic is FOOD.

Lunch in Shanghai, $5 a person

Dinner at Xindalu

  Finding local supermarkets, and knowing how to buy and  then prepare healthy food is a challenge.  We live around the corner from many Chinese food stands and restaurants, but it is difficult to navigate what food is safe and healthy and then how to go back to the apartment to prepare it.

Have not yet eaten meat on the street

       We haven't yet been brave enough to buy the street meat, but we love the dumplings. (jiaozi)  gee-ow-zuh

Many different types of jiaozi

Yang's Dumplings:  4 for $1- our FAVORITE

Always a crowd 

The famous Chinese lady on our block is endearingly known as the Vegetable Lady by all the expats. (Expat from ex-patriate, someone who is  temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than their own.)  

Beautiful inexpensive fruits and vegies.
 $1 per avocado, $2 for 6 mandarin oranges

 Many  foreign items, you just need to dig to discover. Chips and/salsa were found for $7

We can walk to this grocery store for some of our needs, and hooray (!), we discovered the Costco-like store called Metro about a 20 minute drive away from our apartment.

We love the fresh fruit desserts.
 Chocolate and baked sweets are not common.

Bai Restaurant, $7 for soup, main course, rice and tea

Restaurants are in abundance.  We like to try the local places.

Our Thanksgiving Peking Duck was delicious- haochi- ( how chuh)

Hairy crab is a winter treat in Shanghai.

Next Time:  How do the Chinese celebrate Christmas?