新年快乐 Happy new years!

Celebrating lunar new years is something i've wanted to do, but it seems like I never have time to. This year was different.  I spent some time at a local college and learned some interesting things.

• When we arrived we made a two types of dumplings; vegetarian and pork.
•  we "learned" how to dance… well we started to learn, but then we ended up playing with the ribbon that was tied around our waists.
• we ate plenty of food. Besides the dumplings (饺子 jiao zi) we had some oranges ( 桔子 ju zi)  a glutinous cake with red bean filling, an assortment of candies and some nuts and seeds.
• there were also several musical performances, some were of poplar songs and some more traditional. The live music was phenomenal the games were really interactive.

I think I enjoyed going with one of my classmates (同学 tongxuue) most of all. Learning a new language is always more fun when you do it with someone you get along with. 

Staying motivated, and resources.

It's been a couple of weeks since I've started taking this Chinese class, and I have to say staying motivated is just as hard as learning. I realized I would be better  off incorporating a tactic that not only focusses on the language but also some cultural aspects. I've just finished a report on mando-pop and canto-popular music. If you're looking for things to keep you motivated here a re a few things that I've found

• Watch Your Dramas!!!:  If you want to kern new phrases quickly, watch some dramas. I'm in the middle of watching love at first fight, and rewaching the Taiwanese version of Hanakimi. I prefer comedies, and action ones to historical dramas because I'm more likely to use the terminology.
•  Listen to music!: Now, Chinese is a tonal language so it's important to keep that in mind while blasting your favorite tunes. (they may not always be the right tone) This will, however, inspire to look things up for yourself, learn new slang words, and help you communicate better.
• FOOD! Try learning a new recipe in chinese, or translate one of your favorite recipes and write about that. Food is a great motivator for learning a new language. You could try new candies, and it's easy to get others involved too!
• Practice speaking! AS… said "You will always get what you've always gotten if you always do what you've always done." If you practice using your voice you will become more confident (Even if you get embarrassed, you'll learn more than never trying)
• Learn on the go! Apps, youtube channels, books podcasts. Grab something and learn on the go! You don't have to sit still and bore yourself to death if you don't want to
• find a partner to learn with you
• make connection/get involved. Go to a local event that may have native speakers there.