My Chinese And I
I have always been (semi) fluent in English, and growing up, I literally had to be dragged by the neck to Mandarin class. In Mandarin class, I’d talk and I’d laugh, I’d paint my nails with marker and memorize lyrics to Blink 182 songs Id pretty much do Everything apart from pay attention to what was going on. I wouldn’t even say my Chinese name, just because I did not want to. No real reason.
Since leaving school, however, I have watched way too many dramatic Chinese series and my iPod is filled with the melodies of Jay Chou, Fish Leong and other Mandarin stars whose names I cannot, or don’t know how to translate into the English language. I also went to China thrice last year. I had the best time ever and got around fine! I just wish my Chinese language skills were more fluent. Well whatever, I kind of ignored it.
More recently, I have taken up an interest in Karaoke. I have had the best time alcohol free! But being at the KTV also made me humiliated at how horrible my mandarin singing is. I can either read and not understand, sing and not understand, or understand and not sing. Apart from the songs I already know, everything else seems like a blur. Which is why I have started to attend Mandarin class every week. Reading, writing, and everything I spent the last 15 years avoiding is now coming back faster than any plague ever hit any nation. I am so excited.
MTV China, watch out!
