#60dh

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 6 月 6 日

Spot the 熊猫 🐼！

This is my planner! I usually jot down day-to-day stuff, because I’m doing so many new things and visiting so many new places, and it is useful for keeping all my tickets and leaflets in the same place. For general to-do lists, I use post-it notes and them stick them in the journal, near the corresponding week.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 5 月 23 日

I’ve been writing hànzì over and over for what seems like forever! You should write Chinese characters using a specific stroke-order (left to right, top to bottom) and I find this helps with memorising. However, there are some characters I remember simply because they look (a little bit) like what they represent. For example, diànnǎo 电脑, which means computer. I think the second character looks a standing computer hard drive and a computer screen. Similarly, zhíyuán 职员, which means office worker, kinda looks like a filing cabinet, a water cooler, and a little guy in a tie. So logical.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 7 月 10 日 // 北京

On my last day, I visited the Pangjiayuan antiques market, and bought some souvenirs and gifts for my family, including a little red book of Maoisms. Here’s my journal complete with all the tickets from my sightseeing trips. 

In terms of language, I didn’t have to use Pleco once while I was there! The sellers at the market told me I had good Chinese, and I argued with a taxi driver who had shortchanged me, and won! I was also able to hold a conversation with a taxi driver back in Chongqing, so I’m pretty happy with my progress!

For more information about my trip, please read my main travel blog.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 6 月 28 日

I can’t believe I’ve only got two weeks left in China! I am so excited to finish my final exams and go to Beijing for a sight-seeing trip before I catch my flight home. I really, really miss cheese.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 7 月 8 日  // 北京

I visited the Great Wall of China, which was incredible! Our hostel organises trips to the Mutianyu section, which was less crowded. The trip included breakfast, lunch, transport, and entry ticket. It cost extra for a cable car ride to the top, and a toboggan ride down the mountain. 100% would recommend.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 7 月 11 日

What have been the highlights and surprises of your time in China?

The highlights having been meeting new people from all over the world, and feeling very underachieving when they casually mention how many languages they speak. Chongqing is an amazing city to live in too, and the people and the staff at the university are all very nice.

I was surprised by how developed and modern China is, to the extent where it feels like you could be in London or Manchester, apart from everyone speaks Chinese. You can shop at Zara and Forever 21, eat at McDonalds, go to the cinema and watch Guardians of the Galaxy. It helped a lot with homesickness, and there was relatively little culture shock. Yes, there are differences, but no more – at least I think – than visiting any other different country.

Apart from the spitting, of course; you’ll get used to dodging it, but not the sound of phlegming.

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 6 月 29 日

#tbt We attended a Queen’s Birthday Party that was hosted by the British Council! It took place at the Guotai Arts Centre, and it was great to meet new people and eat English food again!

[harriet-hanyu]

60 DAYS OF 汉语 // 2017 年 6 月 26 日

Are you procrastinating right now?

I’m on Tumblr, so... obviously.