Another week and another newsletter! Hope you're well!

Welcome to the Language Vlog Newsletter! :D

SPOTIFY

(Working on Apple Podcasts!)

BUSY week as ever though we only published TWO live streams as the week was marked by working on our upcoming book AND renewing a work visa.

The work visa has been renewed and the book progresses. I also shot another "walk n talk" vlog style video in which I discuss why I haven't left China as well as some of the things that brought me here in the first place. That video will be up soon.

On the upshot, I did manage to record another language check video, in which I speak both Russian and Chinese. I'll let you have a look to see if I succeeded or if I should shoot these on separate days given how messed up I got!

---

This week's videos:

1. Language Check: Russian and Chinese - October 20, 2024
2. Chinese: Learning Chinese through Ghost Stories
3. Russian: Лайв! - Я изучаю русский язык!
4. Short 1: The Autumnal Fragrances of Beijing
5. Short 2: Smoggy GuoMao in Beijing
6. EXTRA: More WuKong?

---

So we started the week with a long overdue language check, something I've done from time to time over the years. I feel these are necessary despite them being horribly cringy to listen to some times. Part of the reason I started the YouTube channel was to have a place where I could track my language development over time, pronunciation in particular.

In this video I tried to speak both Russian and Chinese in sequence. The reason for this is because when I shot the Russian-speaking video first I thought I should also record a Chinese language video, too.

What I didn't realize would happen is that I'd literally confuse the two languages throughout.

Since I shot the Russian portion of the video first, I was able to do that one decently well. However, when it came to recording the Chinese portion of the video I found I was still thinking in Russian.

One commentator on YouTube was impressed but said they struggled with the same amount of confidence.

I can honestly say I didn't expect to speak as much as I did but, in doing so, I realized I still had a long way to go to improve my language skills AND my ability to switch between the languages.

---

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

Thank you for all your support!

---

Next up was a live stream on Tuesday during which we discussed a well-known collection of "strange stories" from long ago: 聊斋志异, or, Liao Zhai Zhi Yi. This collection dates from the late 1600s and early 1700s and was collected by a guy named Pu Songling.

The collection of tales is famous for its strangeness, that is to say, although most are based in reality in some way, they all deal with things going just a little bit askew. Ghosts, mirages, strange powers, etc. all emerge as parts of the stories contained.

Further, the collection is made more notable by the fact that a few of the stories (画皮， 画壁，聂小倩) have been made into movies, if not sequels! So that's helped bring the story collection into the modern era.

However, unlike Western horror stories and Halloween tales, there is no gory aspect to things as Chinese ghost stories border on the fantastical rather than the gruesome.

We are working on another long form video going over some of the works so be sure to check in next week to have a look.

In the meantime, you can read the Chinese here.

---

Although Thursday was a day off because I had to go renew my visa, Friday we were back at it to live stream in Russian.

In this week's live stream, which I tried to conduct only in Russian, I went over an email I received from another viewer that described a method for creating Anki decks for learning Russian cases. It's a good idea and something that, I think, doesn't even need Anki. Instead, this could all be done on pen and paper or, simply, typing them out. This is something I might try out in a future live stream: compile a list of words + modifiers, then spend time just typing them out.

In this live stream, I also took another one of the language tests on MasterRussian.com and... failed! 😂

This is nothing to be surprised about but something to be aware of: work on those declensions!

---

We published TWO SHORTS this week, both touching on the same topic: Beijing's air quality.

Now, I don't want to dwell on the negative issues that Beijing and China face, but since I have a lot of non-Chinese people reading this and who are interested in the country, I feel it is necessary to show both sides of the coin.

Yes, Beijing's air can be bad, but so was Los Angeles in the 1980s and London in the 1950s. Chinese people would say as much.

However, there is one other stench that STILL, TO THIS DAY, gets me during the autumn season in Beijing: the gingko tree. (See The Autumnal Fragrances of Beijing)

Although the gingko tree is well-known and very useful, it's during the autumn months that the little fruit drops from the branches and begins rotting on the ground. It's a horrid smell that smells like, well, rotting fruit. I am constantly amazed that I don't see other people reacting to the smell when they walk by it, but I can't help it as it's one of those smells that not only hits the olfactory senses, but can hit the back of the throat and stick there. Not my favourite! But... it only lasts a month or so.

(I should also add that it's not always like this and the day that this is being sent out, Sunday, the wind has picked up and the skies are blue once again!)

PICTURE

---

Finally, we are working on a WuKong video. Some people might think we've missed the trend but then I was just told... they're making more WuKong content! 😂😂 The trend ain't dead just yet!

---

LIBSYN

Hey! Don't forget to listen in to our podcast!

Available for FREE streaming or download!

---

And another little bit: yes, we are working on a book compilation of all of our YT shorts work to date. Is there anything else you might be interested in having in a book about learning languages?

---

We'll leave there for this week folks!

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 - Last week I forgot to add the link for the Chinese Green Card info in case you were interested. Find it here.