Personal FAQ
Q: What things have been hard to adjust to?
Q: What things have been hard to adjust to?
A: Being stared at all the time!
Q: What things from home do you miss being in China?
A: Online bill pay! Also the postal system, believe it or not!
Q: What things in China do you miss while you are in the States?
A: KTV! Karaoke has grown on me. Also (shhh!) wide availability of cheap DVDs and free music downloads thanks to a licensing agreement that google.cn has! And you can't beat genuine Chinese food!
Studying Abroad in China
Q: How good does your command of Chinese need to be to study abroad?
A: It really depends on what area of China you plan to go to...in bigger cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, etc. you will find that many people can speak at least basic English, so if you have a very basic command of Chinese, you should be able to get by while you are studying to improve. However, for areas with less foreigners, it may be more challenging if you don't have at least a moderately good command of basics...it's doable, but definitely more challenging.
Q: What things have helped you to study Chinese?
A: Outside of class, things like watching Chinese movies to hear more common usage, asking friends that even if they speak English to practice in Chinese with me....and getting fun things to practice reading with (such as Harry Potter, and even my renren.com account...it's the Chinese equivalent of facebook!). Also getting an itouch with Chinese app so that I could draw the characters to look them up has been a lifesaver! (characters are not my strong point!)
Q: Do you feel Chinese is really as difficult as they say?
A: Yes...and no. Certain things are actually deceptively simple (such as grammar in many cases). But....yes, it is overall an incredibly challenging language for a Westerner to learn!
Dating a Chinese Man
Q: Do you speak English or Chinese with your husband?
A: Mostly English, because, while I wish we were more equal in language, the fact is that his English is better than my Chinese. We do sometimes use Chinese, and of course, with his family use only Chinese. Also, if he really want to express something (like in an argument) he speaks Chinese since I can understand quite well....my spoken Chinese is not as good).
Q: What have been the most significant examples of culture clash that you have had to work through in your relationship?
A: Relating to his mother (she is very sweet, but still a fairly traditional Chinese parent...also just things about how we relate to others (I don't much like a lot of the "guanxi games" that are played here, and we can even manage to piss each other off talking politics...I'm pretty critical of the government here, but, to be fair, I'm fairly critical of America as well.
Q: What are some of the fun parts of being with a Chinese guy?
A: We are definitely a rarity, which is sometimes fun, sometimes annoying...it's still the case that in most examples of a Chinese-foreigner couple, it's a foreign man and Chinese woman. So people are curious about us. We have fun too since when he is with me people often mistake him for a foreigner and compliment him on how good his Chinese is!
Q: How do Chinese guys dating personalities differ from Western guys?
A: While as in any country, of course, guys personalities are different from each other, I have noticed that Chinese men are very good at taking care of their ladies. Meeting physical needs, taking her to her various commitments, carrying her purse, etc. Sometimes less romantic in the Western since (giving surprise gifts, flowers, etc.), but still romantic. And in terms of verbal expression, my fiance is very verbally expressive. He gives really good compliments and is capable of saying some of the most romantic things I've ever heard without sounding too cheesy.
Have a question that I didn't answer? Shoot me an email at julie.m@pobox.com!
Q: What things from home do you miss being in China?
A: Online bill pay! Also the postal system, believe it or not!
Q: What things in China do you miss while you are in the States?
A: KTV! Karaoke has grown on me. Also (shhh!) wide availability of cheap DVDs and free music downloads thanks to a licensing agreement that google.cn has! And you can't beat genuine Chinese food!
Studying Abroad in China
Q: How good does your command of Chinese need to be to study abroad?
A: It really depends on what area of China you plan to go to...in bigger cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, etc. you will find that many people can speak at least basic English, so if you have a very basic command of Chinese, you should be able to get by while you are studying to improve. However, for areas with less foreigners, it may be more challenging if you don't have at least a moderately good command of basics...it's doable, but definitely more challenging.
Q: What things have helped you to study Chinese?
A: Outside of class, things like watching Chinese movies to hear more common usage, asking friends that even if they speak English to practice in Chinese with me....and getting fun things to practice reading with (such as Harry Potter, and even my renren.com account...it's the Chinese equivalent of facebook!). Also getting an itouch with Chinese app so that I could draw the characters to look them up has been a lifesaver! (characters are not my strong point!)
Q: Do you feel Chinese is really as difficult as they say?
A: Yes...and no. Certain things are actually deceptively simple (such as grammar in many cases). But....yes, it is overall an incredibly challenging language for a Westerner to learn!
Dating a Chinese Man
Q: Do you speak English or Chinese with your husband?
A: Mostly English, because, while I wish we were more equal in language, the fact is that his English is better than my Chinese. We do sometimes use Chinese, and of course, with his family use only Chinese. Also, if he really want to express something (like in an argument) he speaks Chinese since I can understand quite well....my spoken Chinese is not as good).
Q: What have been the most significant examples of culture clash that you have had to work through in your relationship?
A: Relating to his mother (she is very sweet, but still a fairly traditional Chinese parent...also just things about how we relate to others (I don't much like a lot of the "guanxi games" that are played here, and we can even manage to piss each other off talking politics...I'm pretty critical of the government here, but, to be fair, I'm fairly critical of America as well.
Q: What are some of the fun parts of being with a Chinese guy?
A: We are definitely a rarity, which is sometimes fun, sometimes annoying...it's still the case that in most examples of a Chinese-foreigner couple, it's a foreign man and Chinese woman. So people are curious about us. We have fun too since when he is with me people often mistake him for a foreigner and compliment him on how good his Chinese is!
Q: How do Chinese guys dating personalities differ from Western guys?
A: While as in any country, of course, guys personalities are different from each other, I have noticed that Chinese men are very good at taking care of their ladies. Meeting physical needs, taking her to her various commitments, carrying her purse, etc. Sometimes less romantic in the Western since (giving surprise gifts, flowers, etc.), but still romantic. And in terms of verbal expression, my fiance is very verbally expressive. He gives really good compliments and is capable of saying some of the most romantic things I've ever heard without sounding too cheesy.
Have a question that I didn't answer? Shoot me an email at julie.m@pobox.com!
