griz326

I find that overly pessimistic. It requires about exactly the same level of dedication and immersion as it does for a Chinese person to learn to speak English. (or this may be what you meant) Pretty damned close to what I meant. However, when a Chinese person learns English, they learn to speak and to read simultaneously. In most cases, English speakers learn to speak Chinese without learning to read Chinese. I'd like to think that I can learn the Chinese language, but it would have been a hell of a sight easier if I had started when I was 25

I just order the book. It looks like it will be fun! Thanks for the recommendation.

Sorry to be the curmudgeon, but western people cannot learn to speak Chinese without super-human dedication or total immersion. However, we can learn functional Chinese speaking. To do that, I'd recommend the Pimsleur program in combination with Rosetta Stone. Between the two, you're speaking basic Chinese and you have a little vocabulary to boot! --- Rosetta Stone builds vocabulary through memorization...although their marketers would dispute that statement. Those programs won't get you into philosophical discussions, but your Chinese family will be proud of you. The way that my daughter learned English was simple: every time she encountered a word in a book or in speech, she'd take out her translator and write the word in the book or her notes. For the nuances, she depends on me. True fluency for her is still a year or two away. If I am correct, that will be 5 years of total dedication to her objective. I've decided that this year I will resume learning Chinese. Listening to my girls and Chinese television, I have gotten to the point where I hear Chinese words. With my Pimsleur CDs and Rosetta Stone programs, I should be able to get to a functional level before I return to China again. Good luck!

The western world is trying to suck China into the West's economic black hole. IMO, the world should leave China alone; the Chinese are clearly more responsible than us...US...economically. In the long run, such a policy should be for the better.

The three of us go to Tampa, FL tomorrow on our way to see American Grandmother. This is the trip that was supposed to happen in June when illness intervened. Two weeks of fun with Mom. ...and a trip to China could be in the offing if my brother-in-law is getting married as he's hinting. The airlines are going to get rich on me...but are still going broke...how is that?

I'm certain that my daughter would find some way to say the Chinese said that first!!!

I've really been entertained by what's become a game between myself and my daughter. I say... In America we say, "Enter your old saying." Then she says... In China we say, "Old Chinese saying." The only time that I've stumped her so far is with: In America we say, "knee high to a grasshopper..." to refer to someone who was very little. (I think it was a western character played by Gabby Hayes who popularized that expression.) Yesterdays' gem was: "Blood is thicker than water." She quickly responded with a Chinese saying. Then I asked, "I wonder who said that first?" In a nanosecond she blurted, "Chinese! *hehehe*" Some of the others have been: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." "Dying is easy, it's living that's hard." "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush." "Never put all of your eggs in one basket." My apologies for not knowing the Chinese sayings, but we've had a lot of fun with that game.

All this talk about Tibet and Taiwan makes me wish that Tricky Dick and Henry K were still in charge. For some reason, those boys were better than others fiddling with foreign policy. ...but Lao Po says, "far away, far away," meaning, "Why does the USA mess with it?" That's a question all of our leaders should be asking all the time.

I worried about the language issue with my step-daughter, but she was so damned determined that nothing was going to hold her back. She did some amazing things with her grades and English TOFL scores. If your step-daughter is even half as determined as mine, try not to hold her back unnecessarily. The only thing I did to hold my kid back was to make her go to school in Montana. She lost face when I stopped her from going to one of the two big, top-ranked universities that accepted her. If your girl is struggling with English repeating the 12th grade isn't a bad plan, but how will she deal with what might be considered a loss of face?

Kissenger's book discusses this at length. In a nutshell, Mao's goal was to restore China to the borders of some dynasty (don't remember which one), but that included Tibet and Taiwan. The Taiwan issue was and remains a very delicate issue in US/China relations. Lao Po considers Taiwan to be part of China, just like Tibet. The problems started in Tibet back in the 40s when the CIA stirred up trouble to de-stabilize Mao. Tibet and greater China were unified under the Mongols sometime in the 1200s. Quite a few Chinese have compared the free Tibet movement to be similar to Lincoln fighting to keep the union together during the Civil War.

Yeah, this was a real nerve-wrecking issue for us too. I guess that's what happens when you give bureaucrats power over something that requires only commonsense and a computer.

My Sammi girl used to wake me up by looking at me. She frequently communicated with me telepathically. Dogs are so far beyond remarkable there are no words for it in the English language....

I think these images are Google Easter eggs to poison the well. I've read the "NASA scientist" comments and such where it's said that these "calibration" sites are nearly identical to the US calibration sites. Please show me the "nearly identical" US calibration sites...I'm waiting.

I don't know about her retirement, Dan. She seems to think it will be okay. I feel like Phelps. "Your job if you choose to accept it is to fill out the n-400."

She must really go nuts on Spades night; we kid and tease her half to death, BUT she comes right back with her own jibes. Maybe it's change of life, or a brain reboot, or something else wacky! Lao Po told me this morning that she wants to be USA! (She wants to change her citizenship) Oh boy!

I intend to introduce her to the judge on Monday. Stormy, our judge, will assure her that she is safe...I hope.

So the Eureka court sent Lao Po a letter in today's mail. I thought she got a speeding ticket and was trying to hide if from me. So I teased her that she was going to go to jail by putting my hands together which is our sign for handcuffs. Next thing you know she breaks into a loud wail and starts to cry. She said she wanted to go back to China because she was afraid of American law. She wasn't faking. I did my best to explain that I was joking, but she wailed on. It took about 2 hours to assure her that the law was not going to take her to jail! It turned out to be a notice to serve on the local jury. I doubt that she's qualified for jury duty, but who knows! But what concerns me is the honest fear of American law... Are your girls afraid of the law? Any reason why? She really wanted to go back to China for a few hours. ???

I was hoping to take the ferry or the chunnel across which I believe puts me in France. If you're correct, Randy, France might make it easier for me. Seattle's a 12 hour drive or a 1 hour plane fare.

They told me that Lao Po would need to be interview at the consulate in Washington, DC which wouldn't be very easy.

Kinda smells like a racket! Where's RICO when ya' need 'em?

Apparently, the UK visa is pretty easily had with enough $$$ and a trip in for biometrics...AGAIN! The EU visa to the Schengen countries requires an interview. It's certainly worth a try to see if you can hop across the channel without much difficult. We'll see.

Hell's bells! I hoped that it would be easier than that

I've got a new boss and will apparently go to meet him in the new year. I've got my passport and am golden; however, I'd like to take a few extra days while over there and let Lao Po see London, Paris, and perhaps Rome. Can she travel through Europe without visa on her Green Card? Or does she need to get visas for each location? My guess is that with the formation of the EU, there would be just one visa, but even that may be unnecessary (I hope). Anyone know? TIA

I like the "...who knows when you might have another chance (to see them again)?" That might get a more positive response...

I've tried a dozen ways to get her to talk about this, but nothing, so I appreciate the comments.