another week another park

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I finished reading a very famous Chinese Novel, I Dream of Red Chamber, so this past weekend I went to the park that is modeled after the book. The park was very pretty. There were very few people in the park, which made it especially nice. It was like walking through the book.


I have started a new habit. Every morning I go to the park and study Chinese for one hour. I love it. I go and all the old people help me. They tell me how I am writing my characters wrong and they talk to me in Chinese and I put up with an hour of humiliation and frustration and call it a crash course in Chinese. But I also take it as getting to know Chinese people. Sometimes Because of the language barrier I feel like I have not really gotten to know Chinese people very well. Whenever I talk its always them getting to know me and more about America and talking in English of course.

Every girls dream Sort of....
So I was sitting there studying my Chinese in the park when the fire department, which does its drills outside my house

Grand View Garden Park
small house inside park
everyday now, decided to take a break. Well I was the more interesting then the fish in the pond. Soon I was surrounded by ten Chinese firemen trying to decide where I was from. I was trying not to laugh as I thought of the calendars back home of "firemen" and the stereotypes and how I could knock most of these guys over with my little finger. They were nice. I am quickly learning I only need to know how to answer three questions: 1) where are you from? 2) What do you do 3) how much money do you make? The last one I always play the, I don't understand what you are saying card.

These are things I never think about
What's the difference between the words beautiful, cute, pretty, and handsome?
What does it mean to call someone classic?
What’s the difference between tolerance and patience?


While English is my first language I have always enjoyed that it is the one thing I don't have to think about its just habit. Now I am forced to think about everything I say and why I say it.

Question: How do you make something boring

Construction
When I think of China i will always think of construction. Its every where you cannot escape it.
interesting? I guess I was always under the impression that the teacher thought the subject was interesting. I always imagined that Mr. Hengtes loved teaching Algebra and just really loved numbers and it was just me who hated it. But now I wonder if there were lessons that he hated as much as I did. I wonder if he ever thought, " gosh I hate radicals” Me I hate, HATE, teaching grammar, for those who know me this is no surprise. I usually don't teach grammar that's not my job. The Chinese English teachers pound it into their heads they know it technically they just don't use it. Well some how the missed the verb, could. I think I taught the most boring lesson ever. I was bored they were bored ahhhh.
I wanted to say, forget it just always use will. I mean really could is a passive aggressive verb any way.

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Photos

Grand View Garden Park
Me in front of the lake .

Grand View Garden Park
small house inside park

Construction
When I think of China i will always think of construction. Its every where you cannot escape it.

Construction
The Construction workers don't stop even at night. They work twenty four hours.

Comments

[Uncle Dan]

definition distinctions
You wrote:<> I had a heck of a time figuring that out for the Chinese. Let me save you some grief. beautiful==> mei3li4 cute ==> ke3ai4 pretty ==> piao4liang5 handsome ===> hao3kan4

[Wonderboy]

I never know what to put in this block...
Glad you got to go to the same park that was in I Dream Of Genie. That must've been cool. I have the worst short term memory in the world, I think. I'm going to have to ask you again... When are you visiting the States again? You know something else... I think I would love to teach English. It is the only subject in school that I consitaintly did well in. Well anyway, take care of yourself. Wonderboy

[Cheryl]

a piece of literature
that was such a good piece, i'm going back to re-read it. glad the weather is so good. you can enjoy the parks. yeah, everyone wants english. especially the american accent. keep enjoying. take care.

[Rebecca]

my answers.
Beautiful is dazzling in appearance, cute is adorable (not stunning), pretty is just that pretty(but not dazzling), and handsome is a stunning, dazzling man. MMMMM -- classic! oh to be called classic! its means you will never go out of style. Your look and your personaltiy are not temporary or "in style" for that time, but instead supercede time and do not need to change with the trends. Like wearing black and white = Classic. patience is better than tolerance -- tolerance is often just keeping quiet, while holding a strong opposing opinion. how to make something that is boring, into something interesting -- add things you liek to it -- rewards, games, tricks, songs, word games, riddles, anything that is interesting add it to the boring. love you. bec.