What’s that magazine in panel 1? A list of Chinese Cookbooks for the Kindle!
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Just when you think that you’ve seen it all on the internet there comes an article that shocks you back into the realization that the internet really is the “final frontier!” That’s what happened when I came across an article in the Atlantic (linking to an earlier Washington Post piece) which was an interview with Jessica Beinecke who is the host for Voice of America (VOA) and the star of her own VOA produced web video show called “OMG 美语” which means “Oh My Goodness, American Language!” The Atlantic article by Damian Ma talks about her viral videos on the Chinese version of YouTube called Youku and her interaction in Mandarin with her millions of fans in Mainland China, Taiwan and beyond. Now she’s on YouTube and getting more and more popular. Kind of like the younger, more beautiful Mark Roswell (a.k.a. Da Shan 大山）
After watching the episode you might ask yourself, How did she get so good at Chinese? The Atlantic article asked that too. Her response:
I have the equivalent of about the fourth year Chinese language level. I reached fluency in 1.5 years, thanks to Middlebury College’s Chinese language programs.
Wow, that must be a natural ability right there because I was no where near fluency by 1 and a half years. WOW!
Or you might ask the question that they had in the Washington Post article which was this: How can…
“a petite blond Midwesterner, who is not Chinese and only began studying the language five years ago, become an iconic translator of American slang for pop-culture-hungry Chinese fans?”
Good question. But then again, that’s what the internet is all about, isn’t it?
Chinese with Mike – A Chicagoan who teaches Chinese on YouTube from his parent’s basement! Plus our comic about Mike!
Foreigners Speaking Chinese – This is an old comic we did based on a true story of my Chinese mistakes!
Billions Speak Chinese – a comic about how frustrating dialects can be in Chinese.
How to Scare a Foreigner - Speak Chinese to them? No give them this!
3 Questions for Foreigners after a trip to China – just plain silly!
Did you know there was a Chinese summer camp in Minnesota? Well, there is and I got to chat with a great teenager named Dylan from Western Massachusetts about his experience this past summer at a Chinese summer camp. There are so many smart and intelligent parents out there in America today (also in Britain and Australia) who are sending their kids to Mandarin camps so that their kids get a leg up on college studies or to supplement their high school Mandarin classes. Whatever the decision, it will greatly improve their interpersonal skills and abilities and confidence in this amazing language. The problem is… which camp should you choose!? Well, we hope that this interview might help you make that decision. This is just one camp, and I am sure there are many other camps out there. If you have any further questions for us or for Dylan you can always e-mail us: magnus at mandmx dot com.
MandMx: What is the name of the Chinese summer camp that you attended?
Dylan: 森林湖
MandMx: Where is your camp located?
Dylan: Maplelag 30693 Maplelag Road Callaway, MN 56521-9643
MandMx: How did you get there?
Dylan: I flew to Minneapolis, then drove in a bus through camp to get to the camp
MandMx: Was this your first time?
Dylan: This was my second time
MandMx: How long have you studied Chinese?
Dylan: About 6 or 7 years
MandMx: How is a camp day structured?
Dylan: 7:30 a.m. 起床 wake up
8:00 a.m. 早操 morning exercise
8:30 a.m. 早饭 breakfast
9:30 a.m. 小组活动 group activity
10:30 a.m. 打扫木屋 cabin clean-up
11:00 a.m. 小组课 Chinese class
12:00 a.m. 爱情故事 soap opera
12:30 a.m. 午饭 lunch
1:30 p.m. 午休 afternoon nap
2:30 p.m. 自由活动 free time
3:45 p.m. 小组课 Chinese class
4:30 p.m. 下午活动 afternoon activity
5:30 p.m. 晚饭 dinner
6:30 p.m. 看电影 movie
7:30 p.m. 晚上节目 evening program
8:45 p.m. 回木屋 return to cabin
9:15 p.m. 熄灯 lights out
MandMx: How was the food?
Dylan: The food was very good. Very traditional food such as Man Tou, and Xi Fan for breakfast.
MandMx: How were the counselors?
Dylan: The counselors were very nice and helpful, and helped with a villagers Chinese if they needed it
MandMx: Was everything in Chinese?
Dylan: Almost everything was in Chinese
MandMx: Do you think your Chinese improved at all?
Dylan: I think my Chinese improved greatly during these past two years
MandMx: What was the worst thing at the camp?
Dylan: The worst thing was doing zao cao (早操 morning exercises)
MandMx: What was the best thing at the camp?
Dylan: The best thing for me was getting to sing the song 《民生》, with a few of my counselors at the 篝火 Gōuhuǒ Bonfire. On one night when we were at the evening activity at the camp fire, me, a female counselor, a male counselor, and two other female student sang the song 《民生》around the camp fire. And because the song is so long, each time we finished a verse they thought it was over. So each time we had to use our hands to say its not over. Then when the song was finally finished, there was a huge clapping from everyone and they were whooping and cheering when we finished.
MandMx: Did you make some friends?
Dylan: I made tons of friends
MandMx: Are you in contact with them?
Dylan: I am still in contact with all my friends
MandMx: What is your motivation for going to this Chinese camp?
Dylan: My motivation for going was to improve my Chinese, and make new friends
MandMx: Did your parents force you to go?
Dylan: My parents did not force me to go
MandMx: Were there Chinese/American kids there?
Dylan: There were all types of kids, including American, and Chinese
MandMx: Would you recommend other people to go to that school?
Dylan: If they want to learn or improve their Chinese, I would greatly recommend to go there
MandMx: What were the counselors like?
Dylan: The counselors were very nice and friendly, and always helped out the students
MandMx: Could everyone at the camp speak Chinese?
Dylan: Not everyone could speak, the skill level varied between each person
Here’s the website
