Overwhelmed with Mandarin Study Materials
Mar. 20th, 2026 11:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
disappointed_lesbianThey audio that accompanies the more basic Mandarin text I have is not easy to understand because I'm not used to mainland Chinese accents. It's also not very pleasant to listen to, especially when it comes to terms that are pronounced differently. I feel that I have to be on guard somewhat to avoid picking up incorrect vocab.
I have Mandarin textbooks that are put out by the Taiwanese government, but they don't seem to cover the basic vocab that I lack. The chapter I worked with today covered the words for aunt and female cousin on the mother's side, but I still don't know the word for grandmother. I know that grandmother is on the tocfl because it was in the mock test.
So I turned to Rosetta Stone for basic vocab. I tried rs mandarin as a beginner but decided to not continue with it, not only because it's not specific to Taiwan, but also because it was too boring. I had no problem going through all five levels of rs german, so maybe I got kind of burned out on rs or german is just easier to learn in that format.
The lessons are much easier now that I've acquired so much vocab, but I'm not sure there's an efficient way to acquire what I lack. I need the words for relatives beyond the nuclear family, household objects, food, and probably jobs and typical places one would find in any city. The thing is that I don't know how much I can jump around to get what I need because rs lessons build on previous lessons. Just going through every lesson wouldn't be difficult, but it would take too much of my time; I'm still trying to study three podcasts and have two textbook series from which to choose.
I skipped some studying late this morning to go out for a long walk. I just needed to be out in the sun and fresh air. I had only one, maybe two, hot flashes (which is good because it was warm outside). Maybe increasing my body temperature helps prevent the hot flashes? Maybe it's exercise? Once I got back home, I started having them again.
The hot flashes keep me up all night until around six am. Normally, I get up at seven am, or, at least, I did before this new chapter in my insomnia story began.
It's weird that winter is just now ending; it's been so warm lately that it feels as if it's mid-spring. Goddamned global warming. Maybe the upside of global warming is that icy wastelands like Norway will transform into places that are suitable for human habitation. Nah; they'll be warmer but they still won't get enough sunlight.
Korean has fallen by the wayside, and not because of all the extra Mandarin study I've been doing. The hot flashes and attendant insomnia have exhausted me to the extent that I cannot even work up much enthusiasm for studying the language.
My hand and wrist feel better today; I've been trying to use my mouse less. At least half the reason for the repetitive stress is my playing a computer game when hotflashes come on because focusing is difficult and I try to distract myself from the discomfort.
I have an upcoming medical check-up. I'm going to ask for solutions to the hot flashes, but I fear there'll be nothing but hormones on offer. I'm not taking any of that shit because it messes with the mind. I'll just be an unproductive menopausal womon instead.
The guy I was corresponding with online gracefully accepted my change of my mind. I feel bad about what happened. Maybe I should try harder to get along with autistic people. Maybe he's not a pseudo-intellectual so much as his communication difficulties make him sound like one. I tried to consider the situation but I've been so tired I cannot think clearly. I think I made a reasonable decision anyhow.
I have Mandarin textbooks that are put out by the Taiwanese government, but they don't seem to cover the basic vocab that I lack. The chapter I worked with today covered the words for aunt and female cousin on the mother's side, but I still don't know the word for grandmother. I know that grandmother is on the tocfl because it was in the mock test.
So I turned to Rosetta Stone for basic vocab. I tried rs mandarin as a beginner but decided to not continue with it, not only because it's not specific to Taiwan, but also because it was too boring. I had no problem going through all five levels of rs german, so maybe I got kind of burned out on rs or german is just easier to learn in that format.
The lessons are much easier now that I've acquired so much vocab, but I'm not sure there's an efficient way to acquire what I lack. I need the words for relatives beyond the nuclear family, household objects, food, and probably jobs and typical places one would find in any city. The thing is that I don't know how much I can jump around to get what I need because rs lessons build on previous lessons. Just going through every lesson wouldn't be difficult, but it would take too much of my time; I'm still trying to study three podcasts and have two textbook series from which to choose.
I skipped some studying late this morning to go out for a long walk. I just needed to be out in the sun and fresh air. I had only one, maybe two, hot flashes (which is good because it was warm outside). Maybe increasing my body temperature helps prevent the hot flashes? Maybe it's exercise? Once I got back home, I started having them again.
The hot flashes keep me up all night until around six am. Normally, I get up at seven am, or, at least, I did before this new chapter in my insomnia story began.
It's weird that winter is just now ending; it's been so warm lately that it feels as if it's mid-spring. Goddamned global warming. Maybe the upside of global warming is that icy wastelands like Norway will transform into places that are suitable for human habitation. Nah; they'll be warmer but they still won't get enough sunlight.
Korean has fallen by the wayside, and not because of all the extra Mandarin study I've been doing. The hot flashes and attendant insomnia have exhausted me to the extent that I cannot even work up much enthusiasm for studying the language.
My hand and wrist feel better today; I've been trying to use my mouse less. At least half the reason for the repetitive stress is my playing a computer game when hotflashes come on because focusing is difficult and I try to distract myself from the discomfort.
I have an upcoming medical check-up. I'm going to ask for solutions to the hot flashes, but I fear there'll be nothing but hormones on offer. I'm not taking any of that shit because it messes with the mind. I'll just be an unproductive menopausal womon instead.
The guy I was corresponding with online gracefully accepted my change of my mind. I feel bad about what happened. Maybe I should try harder to get along with autistic people. Maybe he's not a pseudo-intellectual so much as his communication difficulties make him sound like one. I tried to consider the situation but I've been so tired I cannot think clearly. I think I made a reasonable decision anyhow.
