I never intended to create a YouTube channel only about China, but given that I've lived here for so long, maybe it was inevitable?

PODCAST

SPOTIFY

(Working on Apple Podcasts!)

Welcome to yet another week of fun and follies in language land as we posted several videos to the YouTube channel and... got quite a response.

Surprisingly, the video we thought WOULD do well barely got a response. That would be our 聊斋志异 video that we spent quite a bit of time preparing for. LOTS of research went into that one! ... Just over 100 views so far.

BUT, the newest walk n talk video, Responding to Comments About Living in China? That gained quite the attention.

---

This week's videos:

1. Chinese: Taiwanese Mandarin Class Package Set to Expire
2. Russian: Reading in the morning
3. English: A Visit to Universal Studios Beijing
4. Short: Reading the Classics
5. Walk'n'Talk: Responding to Comments About Living in China

---

As is usual on iTalki, the platform I use to find language teachers, class packages expire after six months, though they can be extended for one month if both parties agree. As a result of an April class buying spree, I now have to use up a few packages that are set to expire. Among them are a Taiwanese package, Russian, and Cantonese. The end of November will be a touch busy.

My original intention with studying Taiwanese (and Cantonese) was to branch out and away from Mandarin, which is spoken primarily in the Mainland of China. I figured since I've spent so long working on Mandarin that it might be time to try another dialect of the Chinese languages.

Then I ran into a problem: learning new sounds for the same characters!

Taiwanese Mandarin is just that, Mandarin spoken with a Taiwanese flavour. However, it is NOT a completely different language like Taiwanese or Hokkien, the two other major languages spoken on the island.

Cantonese, by contrast, IS a completely different language in that it uses different sounds and tones to say the same characters, be them Simplified or Traditional.

So, although I wanted to branch out into another dialect, I don't think I've succeeded as most of my Taiwanese Mandarin classes turn out to be conversation practice IN MANDARIN rather than learning Taiwanese or Hokkien, which was my original goal.

---

Like what you're reading? BUY ME A COFFEE!

Thank you for your support!

---

My Russian studies are in the same situation in that I have a grammar package set to expire at the end of the month so I need to use those up as well.

I have progressed in my morning readings and continue on with DaVinci Code. I'm now on Page 97.

---

We finally posted a video about my recent visit to Universal Studios Beijing back in August. It was a good day and worth the trip, though surely costly. I think the key takeaway is get the express pass as it will save you time and, if you only have one day, get there early. I can't even remember how much we spent but it was up there in the THOUSANDS of RMB. lol

---

One YouTube Short this week titled "Reading the Classics?" all about reading, well, the classics. That is, the "old books" or the "books you have to read" (usually in school). Is it worth it to read these books or should we choose something more modern? And I guess I'm also wondering: how are the classics chosen to be put into a school curriculum?

Though I don't teach classic literature, it does make me wonder what makes some of these books classics and what keeps them in school studies for so long. And if we don't read them in school, would anyone read them outside of school time? I mean, some of them aren't the most thrilling yarns to go through, regardless of their language (English, Chinese, etc.)

So, have you read any classics lately? If not, which one would you read if you had the time?

---

Finally, we posted yet another Walk'n'Talk video in which I address some of the comments I've received on the channel so far. My main focus was the comment I included in last week's newsletter, but I also addressed some other common questions I've heard and been told. Among the topics covered were:

• The issue of my beard and people staring at me (not just because of the beard)
• Communication challenges and differences in culture
• My Xinjiang Experience
• Western Media, Nationalism, and Misrepresentation
• Long-term expat life in another country
• Daily life and the challenges therein... so I stay home!

The video is here and you can take a read through some of the comments that people are posting. Some are nice, some are along the lines of "if you don't like it, go home." Thanks for that.

---

And finally finally finally, we've finished the rough draft of the book which is a good thing because I want to send it off to a printer to have a demo copy made. If everything goes well, we should meet our December deadline!

---

Alright, we'll leave it there for this week. Thanks for reading!

Comments? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Get in touch! We'd love to hear from you! You can email us here or follow us on YouTube and post a comment, we'll get back to you!

Thanks for reading and let us know if there's anything we can help you with!

-Steve

YOUTUBE

PS - YouTube subscriber count is just over 800 at the time of writing this. Is this a good thing or does it mean MORE attention and MORE trolls?!?!