need help cos my mandarin sucks :(

udontknowme SG

im going to china for this trip this summer where there will be about 5000 chinese teenagers from around the world.
its actually a trip where chinese from around the world get together to learn more about china.
thing is, my mandarin SUCKS because i have not used it for over 2 years and there isnt anyone who i can speak mandarin to...
i dont want to go to that trip and be like an idiot who cannot speak chinese! because i think everyone there would be able to speak chinese.
how can i improve my mandarin? WITHOUT WATCHING TV.

kopiosatu SG

read newspapers Laughing

udontknowme SG

its the speaking that i need to improve...

and i did try reading the papers. i got pissed off cos i was checking the dictionary more often that the papers Embarassed

kopiosatu SG

go out to the streets and order food in mandarin Mr. Green

^spidee^ SG

How long have you got before departing for China?

SingaporeMacross SG

talk to the chinese people who can’t speak it.

FireIce SG

so how did u get chosen for this trip?

udontknowme SG

Smile and i can spend the whole day eating! Laughing
simple things i can say...but what if in china i need to speak to like...officials. then how? omg... Sad
there will be kids from places like canada, america, mexico. and they can speak chinese, but I CANT. Embarassed [very malu one leh]

kopiosatu SG

how do u know they can speak mandarin???

well if simple is all you know then just keep it simple. otherwise there's always universal hand signals, like the middle finger. Laughing

hellomotosxq SG

i suggest u not go to la .cos ppl who can not speak chinese hardly stay in china .u know .in china .all are used in chinese .

udontknowme SG

spidee: the trip is in july. so i have slightly over 2 months.

fireice: the singapore organizer of the trip knows me.
and the local kids here have school, while i dont.
thats how i got chosen lah...because i can still speak BASIC chinese.
but as someone coming from a country where chinese is taught in schools and i cant speak good chinese. can die...

and kopiosatu: please lah, i go there to make friends, not enemies k. whatsmore i will be going alone. i dont want to be killed in my sleep. Rolling Eyes

kopiosatu SG

in china you should be more worried about farmers who kindap pretty girls, rape and impregnate them. by the time the police find you, you're ready to give birth. Cool

udontknowme SG

there will be guides and stuff.

the whole point of needing to speak chinese is because what if there are kids who cannot speak english?
oh well, here is a website which has a little information about this trip:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/overseas/2006-01/25/content_4098211.htm

^spidee^ SG

2 months.. start practising speaking now I suppose. What situations do you suppose you’ll be facing? Formal events? Casual meetings? To start, you can introduce yourself and describe where you come from to the people you meet in Chinese.

udontknowme SG

spidee: thing is, the people i interact with usually are not chinese or dont actually speak mandarin. and i actually do read the chinese papers out loud sometimes. until i get really pissed off cos i dunno so many words Embarassed

and here is a better website about my trip:
http://www.hsm.com.cn/news/2006/0412/68/23977.shtml

hellomotosxq SG

oh .i see .xun gen zhi lu .we china giv always do these things .tong zhan ma ?
but no taiwanese la ! funny .

^spidee^ SG

From the previous website you gave, it states that one of the trip’s objectives is to increase interests in learning the Chinese language. So maybe you don’t have to worry too much?

CoolMyth SG

Borrow chinese novels and learn to read them aloud. Cool

udontknowme SG

hellomotosxq: there will be people from taiwan!!
http://www.hksyc.edu/osa/download/latest/trip_2006wunam_schedule.pdf

heh...i just dont want to look like a fool there lah. Embarassed
especially since i will be so-called representing Singapore...i'll be the only person from singapore actually.

hellomotosxq SG

oh .if like that .i am sure the purpose must be mainly for taiwanese .