Chinese lessons

I went to my first ever Mandarin class today. It was at the Japan Club of Hong Kong, with a Hongkie teacher, who specializes in teaching Cantonese. The setting sounds a little ironic but it was so much fun!

Ma ma ma ma

Today was all about the pronunciation. This apparently is super critical when speaking Chinese!

There are so many sounds that we don't use in Japanese or English. You really have to move your mouth like a crazy person, and I couldn't stop laughing at myself (and honestly, my classmates!).

While being worked up, I was thinking my brain must already be completely compartamentalized with what I already know, into mini bento boxes.

Every new word or sound that I learned today must have gone into the box that seem most related... and will come out sounding like Japanese and English when I open my mouth...

The class will be for 3 months, so let's see how far I get!



Photo context: Hong Hao, Morono Kiang Gallery