Walking into our apartment for the first time, one may confuse it for a kindergarten classroom. Shoes piled up at the entrance in no order whatsoever, piles of crayons, papers, and paints strewn around the easel and across the tables, one lonely sock peaking out from under the couch, looking for it's mate. Neither Erich or I can claim to be neat, tidy, or organized when it comes to our house, so we apologize in advance to anyone coming to visit. This is why we have an "ayi" here...to be our pseudo-mom and clean up after us when we are too busy or lazy to do it ourselves. As ashamed as we are to admit it, we need help keeping our house in order...some kids never grow up.
Beyond the messes we share with kindergarten living, we have also begun labeling items in our house with the Mandarin words/characters to help us learn the language. Friends come to visit and get a giggle from the labeled drawers of utensils telling you that "cha zi" = fork and the photo on the wall is of our "jia ting" (family). There are drawings of common clothing items with their Chinese names in the kitchen as well as a "family tree" diagram hung on the wall to learn the SUPER-specific names for family members (example: cousins have specific titles, depending on if they are on your mom or dad's side, as well as if they are older or younger than you, and male or female).But hey, the labeling system works for new language learners in kindergarten, it should work for us too. So far, it's helpful, I just need to remember to look at and read the signs rather than glancing past them to other messes around the rooms :) Any suggestions for learning new langauges is much appreciated. I also take Mandarin classes twice a week with some friends and subscribe to a Mandarin podcast. Erich learns plenty of bad words and lingo from working at the cafe and communicating with his employees. As we anticipate year 3 in China, we are constantly looking for ways to grow and learn in this country we call home.
Songs-I've been learning Mandarin along with the kids through their songs. I can sing the days of the week, count from 1-10 and back down again, and remember different countries in Mandarin thanks to the music. :) Just an idea.
ReplyDeletei like! why didn't i think of that when i blurted out the lyrics to a song i hadn't heard in 10 years the other day? :) i'll have to pick the brains of local kiddos to learn the songs...or make up my own...haha, could be amusing! thanks!
ReplyDeleteStick with it Dana! You can do it! I am struggling with my own language-learning (again). I found a conversation partner and we meet once a week to chat for half an hour in Spanish and half an hour in English. It helps me get over my fear/inhibitions of opening my mouth and making mistakes (which is about all I can do so far).
ReplyDeleteI used to have two great kid's song CDs in Chinese - I gave them to someone before I left. Ask A. if she has them.
Hope you guys are having a great Holiday!
Thanks for the encouragement, Sarah! I agree that sucking up your pride and just spitting out words even when you're unsure is key. I find that doing this with Chinese-speakers who don't know ANY English is even better...they can't help and you have to problem solve your way through it. I've really liked talking to our ayi this week since I've been around and not at school while she's at the apartment. How's Milan's Spanish going? I'm sure learning through him is helpful too :)
ReplyDeleteIn the midst of a Christmas Eve tornado now...we're having a dinner at the cafe for anyone still around for the holidays, so there are baked goods, glazed meats, and delicious veggies invading the kitchens at home and the cafe. Sheng dan jie kuai le to Tim, Milan and you! Looking forward to hearing how you celebrate :)