: About Me

I am a former school teacher from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who now lives in Hangzhou, China. I have taught third grade in a Choice school for five years and I currently teach oral and written English to university students. While living in China, I have been a contributor to In Touch magazine, writing about cooking in China. While living in Milwaukee, I wrote short pieces for MKE on restaurants, the state fair, and coffee shops. I have travelled abroad and now lived abroad and am excited to have a different perspective on life in America.

Arts & Humanities > Asian Languages Key phrases in Chinese that travelers should know

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Traveling in China can be intimidating, especially because of the language barrier. Learning basic phrases is essential to the enjoyment of your trip. Chinese is a tonal system. The first tone is high and flat, the same sound as when you open your mouth and say "ah" for the doctor. Second tone starts low and goes high. This is similar to answering the phone and saying, "Yes?" The third tone is low and it dips. It is created by dipping your voice down and then up slightly at the end. Fourth tone starts high and then goes low. This is the same as the "ya!" part of "hi-ya!" If there is no ton...

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