So I was reminded today that I haven't blogged in a while. I apologize. I forget that you all cannot read my mind or tell what is happening a gagillion miles away.
Life right now is just a week in and week out of class and tutoring. It is pretty mundane. But I am very thankful for the steady stream of busyness. The routine is nice and I am really enjoying strengthening my relationship through conversation and sharing. It is not a stressful existence. For which I am very thankful. Because only 7 months ago I was a very stressed language learner. Tomorrow I have a tingli. The listening portion of my lesson. Which means the first part of the lesson will be me listening to a story being told by my teacher and then after the story is done she will ask me a string of questions I have to answer regarding the story.
When I first started those days were my most feared classes because usually I would get like 20% of the story. Now I am more confident and even if I didn't catch some details I will have caught the majority of the large details. So that is always encouraging.
Today I want to teach you some of my favorite words in Chinese. The three most useful phrases in Chinese (for me) are: Ma Ma Hu Hu, Ma Fan, Zen Me Yang.
Ma Ma Hu Hu: (马马虎虎) these characters are literally Horse Horse Tiger Tiger. The deeper meaning is a combination of: so so, just okay, not great, or mediocre. I use this often in my daily life. It is an easy explanation of many things.
Ma Fan: (麻烦) these characters are literally Numbness Annoyed. The deeper meaning is a combination of: troublesome, annoying, too much effort, irritating, or not worth your time. This phrase is probably used at least once a day. Because so many things in China are mafan.
Zen Me Yang: (怎么样) this phrase means-how do you like it, what do you think, how are you. If I were to say it alone it means-How are you? If I say Green tea zen me yang? it means what do you think of having green tea. or if you already drank the green tea I would be asking how you liked the green tea. I use this phrase daily as well.
I have been here almost two years now and I find that some days I feel like this life is so natural and other times I wonder what in the world am I doing here. However, the sun shines here, the moon shows itself, we have rain and the flowers grow. We have good days and bad days, people are born here, and some die. I am grateful for each meal I have and every friend in my life. I have become used to the isolation/difference from people in America and am thriving. I feel at home here and yet am not at home at all. Indeed, all is the same under the sun.
Thank you for your continual thoughts for me.
Life right now is just a week in and week out of class and tutoring. It is pretty mundane. But I am very thankful for the steady stream of busyness. The routine is nice and I am really enjoying strengthening my relationship through conversation and sharing. It is not a stressful existence. For which I am very thankful. Because only 7 months ago I was a very stressed language learner. Tomorrow I have a tingli. The listening portion of my lesson. Which means the first part of the lesson will be me listening to a story being told by my teacher and then after the story is done she will ask me a string of questions I have to answer regarding the story.
When I first started those days were my most feared classes because usually I would get like 20% of the story. Now I am more confident and even if I didn't catch some details I will have caught the majority of the large details. So that is always encouraging.
Today I want to teach you some of my favorite words in Chinese. The three most useful phrases in Chinese (for me) are: Ma Ma Hu Hu, Ma Fan, Zen Me Yang.
Ma Ma Hu Hu: (马马虎虎) these characters are literally Horse Horse Tiger Tiger. The deeper meaning is a combination of: so so, just okay, not great, or mediocre. I use this often in my daily life. It is an easy explanation of many things.
Ma Fan: (麻烦) these characters are literally Numbness Annoyed. The deeper meaning is a combination of: troublesome, annoying, too much effort, irritating, or not worth your time. This phrase is probably used at least once a day. Because so many things in China are mafan.
Zen Me Yang: (怎么样) this phrase means-how do you like it, what do you think, how are you. If I were to say it alone it means-How are you? If I say Green tea zen me yang? it means what do you think of having green tea. or if you already drank the green tea I would be asking how you liked the green tea. I use this phrase daily as well.
I have been here almost two years now and I find that some days I feel like this life is so natural and other times I wonder what in the world am I doing here. However, the sun shines here, the moon shows itself, we have rain and the flowers grow. We have good days and bad days, people are born here, and some die. I am grateful for each meal I have and every friend in my life. I have become used to the isolation/difference from people in America and am thriving. I feel at home here and yet am not at home at all. Indeed, all is the same under the sun.
Thank you for your continual thoughts for me.
4 comments:
How grateful I am for the progress and contentment you express in your language learning! Thank You Father! Thank you for the lessons, however, I still don't know how to actually pronounce them...I like the phrases, and can see how/why you use them so often...how I wish I could come visit weekly to know your world there!
Yes, we are all not so different from one another, and yet we seem to fixate on differences, why?...because you said it well, there is nothing new under the sun. Please forgive us Father.
Looking forward to more language lessons! Love you, Mom
Ma Ma Hu Hu! Ma Ma Hu Hu! Love it, Denise :). I think that is a favorite of mine now too.
A couple lines from songs I like are reminders that this world is not our home...maybe no matter where we are, we will never feel truly at home because it's not our final home...
"If i find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here" Brooke Fraser
"This world has nothing for me and this world has everything...All that I could want and nothing that I need" Caedmons Call
Anyway - love ya Denise! I hope you have a better than a ma ma hu hu week! :)
Fun blog. And your choice of high use phrases very appropriated. We still use these in our home in the US after being away from that language for a dozen years!
Are you using Pinyin in this process? I didn't recognize zen me yang until you showed the characters. Old romanization would have put a d in front.
You also indicated that only some people there die. They don't have a 100% rate like we do here?
Denise, how fun! I remember so vaguely the Deutsch phrases we used 35 years ago in what was then West Germany. Mostly (& forgive my butchering of the spellings) "nicht werstein" (I don't understand!) and eine (one, when ordering things. Love the comments above too. Am now wondering about that death rate as well. hmmm Reminding Father of you often.
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