The Aftermath, an Analysis

HSK Level 5 Chinese Test, goodbye! I recently finished that which has plagued my thoughts for the last 7 months and is, in some way, a culmination of my efforts from the last two years.

Walking out of the test center filled me with both a sense of pride and relief. On one hand, I can now communicate fluently and to an advanced degree in three languages, all highly relevant to business. On the other hand, thank goodness it's over! (Hopefully the results also support the former statement.)

Naturally, I did some calculations to assess my preparedness. After reviewing all 2,504 likely vocabulary words, I discovered my recall rate (not the easier-to-achieve recognition rate) is 80.2%. With reviewing, my recognition rate landed around 93%. I need 60% to pass, and my average practice test scores are approximately 76%.

Yet, can you, the reader, predict the most overwhelming feeling now 2 hours after the test? Exhaustion.

Good night and later days!
Rick

A Stare, but not a Star

Foreigners in greater China all know the stare, and, personally, I'll never get used to it. I cannot leave my apartment without passerbys pointing, staring, and even shouting the Chinese word "foreigner." In Germany, I fought my anonymity being no different from any man on the street (except a little shorter than average).

Ironically, here in Zhengzhou I simply want to be a 老百姓, a commoner. There are times being a foreigner has benefits; one may get preferential treatment, one can usually get out of any situation with a "ting bu dong" (I don't understand), and one is easily noticed so is actually safer in public/on roads. Yet, it all serves to a general feeling of discomfort. The paradox that I'm treated like a celebrity, yet truly a commoner. I live here, speak the language, and follow the culture, but every time I hear "Laowai" (old outsider) it emphasizes a feeling of isolation or distance.

I know someday when I'm deep into marriage, have wanna-be independent teenage children, and I'm sitting in an insurance office just waiting for some trivial service I'll look back and revere this time when always treated special. For now I'll continue to bear the stare.

Later days,
Rick

Literature Review: What's Fun in Intermediate Chinese

A friend's recent post about her monthly readings left me feeling that I should read more; personally I felt as if I'm neglecting my further education.

In the vein of "Monthly Readings"  here are mine.  None will ever make the New York Times Bestsellers, but my descriptions below are written as if a review! (Read with "satire tone")

 

新汉语水平考试模拟试题集：五级

New HSK Practice Test Questions: Level 5

A book of 10 practice tests structured exactly like the test for advanced Chinese.  While it has no narrative and no interesting characters, the time restriction does keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat!

 

HSK核心词汇天天学：中册

HSK Core Vocabulary for Daily Study: Volume 2

If you want to improve your vocabulary, you need to study every single day.  This book is geared towards just that reader.  With an aim of adding 3,000 words in one year, it provides riveting delineations between synonyms like 鼓励:encourage (a person as subject) 鼓舞:encourage (an event as subject), or 违反=violate/break 违法=violate/break 违犯=violate/break 违背=violate/break.

The author provides real insight into the mystical language of this Eastern land.

 

中级汉语阅读教程

Intermediate Chinese Reading Course

Released from Beijing University Press, this book is filled with tales as wonderfully informative as your dusty newspaper collection.  Read thrilling events of birds flying into a window because of a beautiful painting, learn about the life of those with high blood pressure, and practice all of your Chinese radicals to learn the logic of this cryptic character language.

 

 

小王子

The Little Prince

Rated one of the best books of France from the 20^th Century, this international classic is a delightful way to confuse everything you know about the language as you, the reader, follow the tale of the narrator who meets a boy in the Sahara Desert.  This boy comes from an alien asteroid where he lives alone and cares for a talking rose.  It's an adventure to read as the reader challenges his own comprehension, "Did that flower just talk and complain about vanity?" 

 

趣味汉语阅读

Interesting Chinese Reading

Do you know Chinese humor?  This book explores the joys of the language to keep you groaning with painful laughter.  Discover how saying the word for "two yuan" (liang kuai) can be misunderstood as "chilly" (liang kuai).  Why?  Well it's just a mix-up in the tones, that's all.  What a delight.

 

多彩汉语， 50个趣味故事

Chinese Made Fun

With 5,000 years of history, China presents abundant culture and customs.  Through 50 stories, each in Chinese (characters and pinyin) and English, learn about many aspects of this rising Eastern dragon.  The authors thrill and dazzle the reader by adding a language column in each story, which teaches words like "popular" and "sorghum beans."  How 丰富！

 

That concludes my October-April reading.  My cynical nature is in part due to the constant, overwhelming feeling of a need to study, a need to have one of these books in my lap at all times.  They're simply textbooks, and, as such, inherently dry. 

For a few positive notes: I may not know much about British or American classic or modern literature, but I know over 2,500 Chinese characters;  I speak 3 languages. Tiring, but it makes me proud.  Also, my test will finally be over in only 12 days!

 

Back to studying on this sunny day!

 

Later Days,
Rick

Who says piano isn't a sport?

I just finished 5 hours in front of a piano in a tiny little practice room. Who says piano isn't a sport? It requires daily practice, warm-ups, speed, concentration, and technique. Plus, if you do it right, a lot of sweating. It's truly exhausting. Take that you football players and marathon runners!

Today was a good day for piano as spring hid behind clouds, my teacher (with a masters in piano performance) asked for my opinion on her music, and I finished my Chopin Nocture (Op 9 Nr. 2) and the first movement of the Beethoven sonata (Sonata no. 10, Op 14 Nr. 2--see pg 3 of the music and you'll understand how this is a success. That page is a long passage of sixlets against left-hand sixteenth notes. It was many headaches of practice.)

Now for rest and a shower.

Later days,
Rick