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View Full Version : Foreigners' Chinese culture talent show,contestants in this show puts me into shame..



Dream Time
Mar 15, 2004, 12:45
I just watched the Foreigners' Chinese culture talent show 2004 held in China

the foreigners,mostly Western people,and one Japanese guy,
they have been studying about Chinese culture and language or lived in China for a long time,
they speak fluent Mandarin
they could sing in Mandarin
one white woman sang in some dialect of a Chinese minority group even most of the audiences didn't understand what she was singing,
one white man was accepted to the Shaolin Temple to learn Shaolin Kung Fu,he was the second foreigner ever accepted by the Shaolin Temple and he studied there for 3 years

this really puts me into shame,
as a Chinese,I am very poor in Mandarin (I am a Cantonse speaker)
I had to read the Chinese subtitles to understand what they were saying
I am not very familiar with the Chinese history,I am poor in writing Chinese (but I can read them well),
maybe thats due to I came to Vancouver when I was 9 and my parents didn't put me into some Chinese classes...

if I ever go back to China,I think I will need some serious lessons of Chinese language,culture and history,
maybe even learn some Kung Fu since I like it

Mandylion
Mar 15, 2004, 13:30
Ah, the unintended results of international festivals, shaming the audience :)

Don't feel bad Dream Time. I think it is wonderful you want to get in touch with your roots. Maybe you discovered those feelings in a slightly embarassing way but the great thing is you have the will to learn something new. That is never a bad thing.

On the other hand, might it be that the folks you saw are all just a little geeky? :) This might be a bit of Japanese thinking for you, but my wife is convinced people who spend a lot of time learning obscure things about a foreign country are a special breed of nerds. Impressive nerds, but nerds nonetheless. Take me for example - I know far more than a normal person should about odd Japanese stuff (as all the sword posts of late prove). Very little of this knowledge serves a purpose. While not quite otaku yet, I am quite un-cool...rather proud of my un-coolness, much to my wife's chagrin.

Anyway, your tag says you are in Vancouver, right? Aren't there some Chinese language courses or such you could take? Probably a kung fu school around (might I suggest wing chung) to.

bossel
Mar 15, 2004, 14:38
as a Chinese,I am very poor in Mandarin (I am a Cantonse speaker)
I had to read the Chinese subtitles to understand what they were saying
I am not very familiar with the Chinese history
If you go to Guangdong you will have no problem communicating without Mandarin. Your mothertongue is Cantonese, I suppose. Why then should it be shameful not to have acquired a certain 2nd language?
Mandarin will of course be useful in other parts of China, though.

Not being very familiar with Chinese history is nothing to be ashamed of either. Most Chinese aren't. Apart from some stereotypes or buzzwords most people don't know very much about their history. That counts for most people in most of the countries in the world, BTW.

Elgin
Mar 15, 2004, 15:00
This has nothing to do with China but similar. I'm French speaker, but due to living in a English city my whole life I'm loosing my French skills mostly writing. Its so bad now that I can't write a sentence without making a mistake.
I remember my teacher saying to me once, "start reading more in French or you will loose your skills". Back then I laughed at her, telling myself how can I lose my mother language. Well now I see what she meant and the thing who started it all I would say its my computer. When I use my pc its always in English I even chat with my French friends in English. Sure now my English is way better then before but my French is crap.

Gaki
Mar 16, 2004, 09:13
I just watched the Foreigners' Chinese culture talent show 2004 held in China

the foreigners,mostly Western people,and one Japanese guy,
they have been studying about Chinese culture and language or lived in China for a long time,
they speak fluent Mandarin
they could sing in Mandarin
one white woman sang in some dialect of a Chinese minority group even most of the audiences didn't understand what she was singing,
one white man was accepted to the Shaolin Temple to learn Shaolin Kung Fu,he was the second foreigner ever accepted by the Shaolin Temple and he studied there for 3 years

this really puts me into shame,
as a Chinese,I am very poor in Mandarin (I am a Cantonse speaker)
I had to read the Chinese subtitles to understand what they were saying
I am not very familiar with the Chinese history,I am poor in writing Chinese (but I can read them well),
maybe thats due to I came to Vancouver when I was 9 and my parents didn't put me into some Chinese classes...

if I ever go back to China,I think I will need some serious lessons of Chinese language,culture and history,
maybe even learn some Kung Fu since I like it

Instead of drowning yourself in self-pity why dont you go do something about it ?

silver angel
Mar 16, 2004, 10:16
Aw don't worry about it Dream Time, I think it's great to get back in touch with your roots. I myself was born in Canada, but the rest of my family was born and raised in El Salvador. The only thing I can do now is read it, write (very poorly) and just understand it. I act as a translator some times at school. But for the most part I don't know squat.
I think you should be proud of what you know and keep developing your weaker (and stronger) points.
:-) Be proud of who you are! *raises Canadian flag*

Elizabeth
Mar 16, 2004, 10:25
I know far more than a normal person should about odd Japanese stuff (as all the sword posts of late prove). Very little of this knowledge serves a purpose. While not quite otaku yet, I am quite un-cool...rather proud of my un-coolness, much to my wife's chagrin.
So sorry for the digression, Dream Time :bow:....but someone at work today mentioned a Japanese sword as a possible mantle piece for their living room and wondered if I'd look into it next time I was actually there. I didn't get any initial price considerations, but what exactly would be the differences visually or structurally to a non-otaku between a $50.00 (is it even possible ?) factory-made basically oversized toy and a quality blacksmith's 20th Century replica of the real thing which might start you at $5,000 ?

Uncle Frank
Mar 16, 2004, 10:55
So sorry for the digression, Dream Time :bow:....but someone at work today mentioned a Japanese sword as a possible mantle piece for their living room and wondered if I'd look into it next time I was actually there. I didn't get any initial price considerations, but what exactly would be the differences visually or structurally to a non-otaku between a $50.00 (is it even possible ?) factory-made basically oversized toy and a quality blacksmith's 20th Century replica of the real thing which might start you at $5,000 ?

It still looks good. The big thing is the blade is made of a brittle metal that will not take a sharp edge and will snap if used to strike anything hard. Just to look at !!

Frank

Elizabeth
Mar 16, 2004, 12:13
It still looks good. The big thing is the blade is made of a brittle metal that will not take a sharp edge and will snap if used to strike anything hard. Just to look at !!

Frank
You're referring to a have a lower quality, machine made speciman that has kept it's shape after 30 years? I wouldn't even know where to begin searching in this country, maybe out of the way places like gun shows or armories or such? At least there should be plenty of private dealers well tested and marketed in Japan.

Mayura
Mar 18, 2004, 19:21
dream time - hahaha... if you think you're bad... I'm hopeless! ^o^