现在几点钟, 谁 可以告诉我

As a lay on the floor of Incheon Airport in Seoul South Korea , I have but one question. What time is it? I've only been awake for 24 hours and only have about 4 more hours until I can be in my apartment in Taipei. I've considered whether it's weird for me to be laying on the floor of the airport but I'm really too tired to care at this point. My body is confused but I know what I'm doing. I'm training you body! It is not time to sleep! It's not 4:30 am. It's 6:30 pm. And you know it!

That's what I'm telling my body. He doesn't like me! Anyway, let me show you the airport while I have the time. Check it out:

So what's the plan, Stan?

So I showed you the map earlier, but now, let me be a little more specific about what we should expect to see. 

First, I will be heading to Taiwan where I plan on answering a number of questions.

First, do people there consider themselves to be Chinese or Taiwanese or both? Second, I am going to try my best to be your tour guide as we visit some of Taiwan's national treasures like the Palace Museum, famous night markets, and a shrimp farm. That's right, we are going shrimp fishing! Fishing for shrimp!

While in China, I will be visiting small villages inhabited by non-Han Chinese. Han Chinese is the group of people that makes up the majority of the population in China, however, there are a total of 56 groups of people in China that have unique traditions, languages and customs. I can't wait to talk to these people and learn more! Remind me again what you all would like me to learn about by writing in the comment section below this post.

Last, I want to capture video of real life activities that you would like to complete using Mandarin. For example, shopping in a local vegetable market.

What else do you want to learn to do using Mandarin? Buy a train ticket? Ask for directions? Discuss playing basketball with a friend? Let me know in the comments section!

--

Bennett Harrold

MandarinAlive!

Why am I doing this again?

Ahhhh, I remember. This is an investigation to find out more about the people who may or may not consider themselves to be Chinese. How often do we really think about who we are and what we do? If we consider ourselves Americans, what is it about us that makes us American? Is it the festivals that we celebrate. Is it the foods we eat? Is it the way we live our lives on a day-to-day basis?

 For example,
我是美国人。我觉得我是美国人, 因为，我很喜欢吃热狗。很多美国人喜欢吃热狗。我也觉得我是美国人，因为，我每年都跟我的家人一起庆祝感恩节。你呢？
你觉得自己是美国人吗？ 在你的家，你的家的风俗习惯跟美国有关系吗？
Wǒ shì měiguó rén. Wǒ juédé wǒ shì měiguó rén, yīnwèi, wǒ hěn xǐhuān chī règǒu. Hěnduō měiguó rén xǐhuān chī règǒu. Wǒ yě juédé wǒ shì měiguó rén, yīnwèi, wǒ měinián dōu gēn wǒ de jiārén yīqǐ qìngzhù gǎn'ēn jié. Nǐ ne?
Nǐ juédé zìjǐ shì měiguó rén ma? Zài nǐ de jiā, nǐ de jiā de fēngsú xíguàn(customs and traditions) gēn měiguó yǒu guānxì ma?
Do you consider yourself to be an American? What is it about you that makes you American? Share in the comment section below!

Surely, our ancestry plays a large role in all of our lives as well, whether we know it or not! Where our families come from definitely affects the way we live our lives!
For example,

 我不是在芝加哥出生的。我是在威斯康辛州出生的。我的妈妈跟我一样。她是在美国的威斯康辛州出生的。
我的爸爸跟我不一样。他是在爱荷华州出生的。
Wǒ bùshì zài zhījiāgē chūshēng de. Wǒ shì zài wēisīkāngxīn zhōu chūshēng de. Wǒ de māmā gēn wǒ yīyàng. Tā shì zài měiguó de wēisīkāngxīn zhōu chūshēng de.
Wǒ de bàba gēn wǒ bù yīyàng, tā shì zài ài hé huá zhōu chūshēng de. 

我的爷爷奶奶，和公公婆婆都是在美国长大的，但是，他们的爸爸妈妈不是在美国出生的。爷爷和奶奶的爸爸妈妈是在爱尔兰长大的，然后，他们坐船来美国。 公公婆婆他们家是从英国来的。他们的爸爸妈妈可以说是英国人，不是美国人。
Wǒ de yéyé nǎinai, hé gōnggōng pópo dōu shì zài měiguó zhǎng dà de, dànshì, tāmen de bàba māmā bùshì zài měiguó chūshēng de. Yéyé hé nǎinai de bàba māmā shì zài ài'ěrlán zhǎng dà de, ránhòu, tāmen zuò chuán lái měiguó. Gōnggōng pópo tāmen jiā shì cóng yīngguó lái de. Tāmen de bàba māmā kěyǐ shuō shì yīngguó rén, bùshì měiguó rén.

How have other cultures affected your life? How does where your family is from affect your life? Do you do things with your family that may be different from other friends because of where your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents are from?  Let me know in the comments section below!

何老师，你要去哪里？

同学们好！下面是我的旅游行程。
你看一下，我要去几个国家？
你最喜欢哪一个地方？ 

Tóngxuémen hǎo! Xiàmiàn shì wǒ de lǚyóu xíngchéng.
Nǐ kàn yīxià, wǒ yào qù jǐ gè guójiā?
Nǐ zuì xǐhuān nǎ yīgè dìfāng?

Hi students! Below is my travel itinerary. Take a look. 

How many countries will I be in? Which of these specific 

places are you most excited to learn about? 

Preparing for the rain!

It is rainy season in southwest China and I have no shoes to protect me from the rain, leeches, mud and anything else that wants to get into my shoes while hiking. I have decided that despite my disdain for buying new clothing, I should invest in a new pair of hiking shoes. I went to REI and after trying on multiple pairs of shoes of multiple sizes, I was unable to find a pair that fit both feet comfortably. Given that I only have four days until departure for Taiwan, I decided to go big and buy a pair of size 13 hiking boots. I 

am a size 11.5.  They are huge, but, I think my feet are going to thank me.