Language

Last Friday 3/17 I was invited to a local Chinese school to give a small talk on hanfu! The aim was to share hanfu culture with more people here and to present an example to the kids of what doors can be opened to you by maintaining language skills. hey look that's me! my hair is a mess wow. A little background—I myself attended this once-a-week school from kindergarten up until 6th grade, upon which I pulled out of the school to invite the Chinese teacher that taught me in 6th grade to tutor me at home privately. She was a great tutor and a key part of inspiring my interest in ancient Chinese culture through poetry, history, and more, keeping me engaged while analyzing Tang Dynasty shi and Song Dynasty ci. As I got busy, I stopped the tutoring when I was in 10th grade—and I was introduced to the concept of hanfu not even a few months later! I’ve kept up communication with this teacher for a while (whose name I won’t disclose for privacy reasons) and visited her in Taiwan throughout the years. This year she came back to teach at the local chinese school and invited…

Learning Chinese can be a fascinating and rewarding experience, offering insights into a rich cultural heritage and opening doors to countless opportunities. While the language may seem daunting at first, especially for native English speakers, adopting the right strategies can make the learning process more manageable and enjoyable. Here are some practical tips to help you on your journey to mastering Chinese: 1. Embrace Speaking, Don't Fear Mistakes Why it works: Speaking Chinese, especially in a native environment like mainland China, is crucial for improving your fluency and confidence. Don't hesitate to engage with locals, as most Chinese people are eager to assist and interact with foreigners learning their language. Tips: Don't be afraid to make grammar mistakes; everyday Chinese grammar is simpler compared to many other languages, and people will generally understand you. Asking for directions or recommendations is an excellent way to practice common phrases and learn about everyday usage. 2. Master Pinyin for Accurate Pronunciation Why it works: Pinyin, the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, serves as a vital tool for learning pronunciation and characters. Mastering pinyin can significantly improve your speaking and typing skills. Tips: Practice regularly to familiarize yourself with pinyin's consistent pronunciation rules,…

01 The cheongsam loved by women Eileen Chang once said, "Clothes are a language", and every heroine in her novels would use the style of cheongsam to interpret the sorrow and happiness of love, and the prosperity of silk to lament the impermanence of fate. And Eileen Chang's love for cheongsam can be described as close to crazy. Cheongsam is not only an important prop in her novels, but also an indispensable costume in her life, and it is an expression of her views on life, aesthetics and women. The cheongsam maker who made her cheongsam recalled that he couldn't remember how many pieces of cheongsam he made for Eileen Chang, but he remembered that each piece of cheongsam was made "according to the drawing", and the design came from Eileen Chang herself. Not only Eileen Chang, but also Chinese women in the 1930s and 1940s seemed to be very fond of cheongsams. Soong Mei-ling was no less fond of cheongsams than Eileen Chang, and she had hundreds of cheongsams in her closet. Film and television stars such as Hu Die, Ruan Lingyu, and Zhou Xuan are also fans of cheongsam, they not only wear cheongsam out of their own…