flowers, cutting hair, uncertainty
Tingting is planning to pack her things in case they find out where they're going to move at the end of the summer. She used to collect fans when she was younger, and she brought me one today, which was awesome. On one side someone has painted 喜鹊 (magpies) with 梅花 (plum blossoms), and there are lotuses on the other side. She started talking about 四君子 (orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom), and what that means.
I love it when she starts talking about things that fascinate her, not only because I learn a lot (she writes down a lot of things while she's talking), but because she has a lot to say. We both have this issue where we can't even think of things to say in our native languages, much less in another language (which is why I have such trouble thinking of anything to say to Xizi even though she works here several days a week). So it makes practicing a new language difficult because... what does one say?
But because Tingting and I have been talking about all these different things for two years, we somehow keep finding new things to talk about. Like cutting hair (剪, which totally makes sense when I look at it), or photography. She still says I'm doing fine communicating in Mandarin (improving, even), and I still can't see it... I feel like I'm fumbling along with all these simple words even though theoretically I know hundreds but I can't remember them.
She also talked about Japanese detective shows. I can't remember how we got on that 话题 (topic). She likes the old kind of detective shows where you have clues to solve (she used to read some Agatha Christie too), rather than so much happening in a lab or something.
Looking at my notes, I learned a lot of words today. Hopefully I'll remember them tomorrow.
I love it when she starts talking about things that fascinate her, not only because I learn a lot (she writes down a lot of things while she's talking), but because she has a lot to say. We both have this issue where we can't even think of things to say in our native languages, much less in another language (which is why I have such trouble thinking of anything to say to Xizi even though she works here several days a week). So it makes practicing a new language difficult because... what does one say?
But because Tingting and I have been talking about all these different things for two years, we somehow keep finding new things to talk about. Like cutting hair (剪, which totally makes sense when I look at it), or photography. She still says I'm doing fine communicating in Mandarin (improving, even), and I still can't see it... I feel like I'm fumbling along with all these simple words even though theoretically I know hundreds but I can't remember them.
She also talked about Japanese detective shows. I can't remember how we got on that 话题 (topic). She likes the old kind of detective shows where you have clues to solve (she used to read some Agatha Christie too), rather than so much happening in a lab or something.
Looking at my notes, I learned a lot of words today. Hopefully I'll remember them tomorrow.