My first Chinese Essay!
Our professor asked us to compose a short essay describing our experience here in Beijing, which could be selected for a school wide competition!
The following is the essay that I wrote, which was selected for the competition:
我很高兴我可以得到奖学金来北京学习汉语。我一到北京就认识了很多很好的人，有的是中国人，有的是从世界各国来的。我们互相学习，互相帮助。
在北京，我最喜欢的练习时间是打车的时候跟司机师傅聊天儿。他们常常问我：“你是哪国人？”现在我问他们：“你是中国人吗？”他们喜欢这个问题，每次听到都哈哈大笑！我喜欢他们笑，因为从他们的笑声里我可以听到他们的内心。这让我不再觉得我是一个外国人。
在北京两个多月，我去了很多地方：长城、天安门、故宫、孔庙、天坛、北海、奥运公园……可是我最好的经历是跟我的美国大学院长和两位中国教授一起去人民大会堂参加宴会。人民大会堂很大、很漂亮。我的美国朋友都喜欢我在那儿照的相片。我最喜欢的照片是跟我的院长在中国画“江山如此多娇”前边照的。不但因为那幅画儿非常漂亮，还因为我的院长是我的良师益友。吃饭的时候我的院长对全桌人说：“你们知道吗，我已经来过这儿五次了。”两位教授中的一位说：“按汉语的习惯你应该说，这是我第一百零一次来这儿了！”我的院长很高兴，因为他学会了用汉语表达他的幽默。我也很高兴，因为我体会到了两种文化不一样的幽默方式。
我在北京遇到了很多让我难忘的人，也经历了很多有意思的事，可是我觉得还有很多东西应该学习和体验，还有很多东西需要我用心去思考和感受。因为中国太大了，要想了解中国，得花很长时间。我的一位中国好朋友的爱人告诉我，我应该去一些小镇看看。我觉得他说得很对，我也对旅行很有兴趣。有很多地方是我想去的：宜昌，哈尔滨，三峡大坝，西安，杭州，青岛，曲阜……我不知道我能不能完全理解我看见的中国文化，可是我要试一试。
I start by describing my enthusiasm for being awarded a scholarship to study Chinese in Beijing! Then I explain that I learn a lot from my Taxi drivers here in Beijing and that they often ask me where I am from. So, I say that I often ask my taxi drivers if they are Chinese. Which makes them laugh! (Every taxi driver in Beijing is Chinese - it's not like New York!!!) And I like to see them smile because then I get to see their heart and I do not feel so foreign, just for that moment!
Next I explain that after more than two months in Beijing, I went to a lot of places: the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Confucius Temple, the Temple of Heaven, Beihai, Olympic Park ... ... But the most unique experience was going to The Great Hall with my American university Dean and two Chinese professors. The Great Hall of The People is very Big and beautiful and my American friends liked the photos that I took there. (ironically posted on Facebook) My favorite photo is with my Dean standing in front of a famous Chinese painting, "江山如此多娇." The photograph is memorable because of the location and because it is taken with an academic mentor. During dinner the Dean said to the table: "You know, I've been here five times." One Chinese professor smiled and said: "according to Chinese custom you should say that this is my 101st time to come here! He was very happy because he had learned in Chinese another way to express his sense of humor. I am also very happy because I learned something new and was reminded that the two cultures have different expressions for similar humor!
Last I explain that While in Beijing I have met many memorable people and had lots of good experiences both thinking and feeling and that because China is so big, It will take a long time to Understand China. One of my Chinese friend's husband told me that I should go take a look at some of the smaller towns. I think he is right to say that I am also very interested in travel. There are many places that I want to go: Yichang, Harbin, the Three Gorges Dam, Xian, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Qufu ... I do not know if I can fully understand what I experience in Chinese culture, but I would like to try.
Basically a paper that would take me an hour to write in English took an entire week, many revisions and lots of questions to bring together! It was a wonderful challenge!
The following is the essay that I wrote, which was selected for the competition:
我很高兴我可以得到奖学金来北京学习汉语。我一到北京就认识了很多很好的人，有的是中国人，有的是从世界各国来的。我们互相学习，互相帮助。
在北京，我最喜欢的练习时间是打车的时候跟司机师傅聊天儿。他们常常问我：“你是哪国人？”现在我问他们：“你是中国人吗？”他们喜欢这个问题，每次听到都哈哈大笑！我喜欢他们笑，因为从他们的笑声里我可以听到他们的内心。这让我不再觉得我是一个外国人。
在北京两个多月，我去了很多地方：长城、天安门、故宫、孔庙、天坛、北海、奥运公园……可是我最好的经历是跟我的美国大学院长和两位中国教授一起去人民大会堂参加宴会。人民大会堂很大、很漂亮。我的美国朋友都喜欢我在那儿照的相片。我最喜欢的照片是跟我的院长在中国画“江山如此多娇”前边照的。不但因为那幅画儿非常漂亮，还因为我的院长是我的良师益友。吃饭的时候我的院长对全桌人说：“你们知道吗，我已经来过这儿五次了。”两位教授中的一位说：“按汉语的习惯你应该说，这是我第一百零一次来这儿了！”我的院长很高兴，因为他学会了用汉语表达他的幽默。我也很高兴，因为我体会到了两种文化不一样的幽默方式。
我在北京遇到了很多让我难忘的人，也经历了很多有意思的事，可是我觉得还有很多东西应该学习和体验，还有很多东西需要我用心去思考和感受。因为中国太大了，要想了解中国，得花很长时间。我的一位中国好朋友的爱人告诉我，我应该去一些小镇看看。我觉得他说得很对，我也对旅行很有兴趣。有很多地方是我想去的：宜昌，哈尔滨，三峡大坝，西安，杭州，青岛，曲阜……我不知道我能不能完全理解我看见的中国文化，可是我要试一试。
I start by describing my enthusiasm for being awarded a scholarship to study Chinese in Beijing! Then I explain that I learn a lot from my Taxi drivers here in Beijing and that they often ask me where I am from. So, I say that I often ask my taxi drivers if they are Chinese. Which makes them laugh! (Every taxi driver in Beijing is Chinese - it's not like New York!!!) And I like to see them smile because then I get to see their heart and I do not feel so foreign, just for that moment!
Next I explain that after more than two months in Beijing, I went to a lot of places: the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Confucius Temple, the Temple of Heaven, Beihai, Olympic Park ... ... But the most unique experience was going to The Great Hall with my American university Dean and two Chinese professors. The Great Hall of The People is very Big and beautiful and my American friends liked the photos that I took there. (ironically posted on Facebook) My favorite photo is with my Dean standing in front of a famous Chinese painting, "江山如此多娇." The photograph is memorable because of the location and because it is taken with an academic mentor. During dinner the Dean said to the table: "You know, I've been here five times." One Chinese professor smiled and said: "according to Chinese custom you should say that this is my 101st time to come here! He was very happy because he had learned in Chinese another way to express his sense of humor. I am also very happy because I learned something new and was reminded that the two cultures have different expressions for similar humor!
Last I explain that While in Beijing I have met many memorable people and had lots of good experiences both thinking and feeling and that because China is so big, It will take a long time to Understand China. One of my Chinese friend's husband told me that I should go take a look at some of the smaller towns. I think he is right to say that I am also very interested in travel. There are many places that I want to go: Yichang, Harbin, the Three Gorges Dam, Xian, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Qufu ... I do not know if I can fully understand what I experience in Chinese culture, but I would like to try.
Basically a paper that would take me an hour to write in English took an entire week, many revisions and lots of questions to bring together! It was a wonderful challenge!
Comments