Holly Botella: Learning Chinese

The trip is getting close!  We had our last Chinese lesson in Orchestra on Monday.  I think I've learned enough of the basics to keep myself socially afloat in China, however, I wish I would have learned how to say "Have you seen a group of Americans?" and "Which way did they go?" but I'll be sure to leave a trail of breadcrumbs back to the bus from wherever I go, just in case.  


Overall, I think the most useful knowledge I gained in the Chinese lessons was how to bargain shop.  Our teacher taught us how to say, "That's too expensive.  Can we lower the price?" We also learned numbers, days of the week, time, and how to say the names of our instruments, which I thought was pretty cool. The Chinese language is very difficult to speak.  They pay close attention to the tone of your voice, so the same word can have two different meanings just based on how you say them.  Today is the last time we meet before the trip.  We will be told what to pack for our trip, and they'll walk us through the itinerary for the week.  I'm excited for our three performances and equally eager to begin siteseeing around China!  30 DAYS!!!!!