Austin Chinese Language Learners

We'll share dishes selected from their menu and split the bill equally. We'll aim to keep the cost under $25/person, incl. tax + tip.

蔥油餅 cōng yóubǐng scallion pancakes
牛肉捲餅 niúròu juànbǐng "Chinese beef burrito"
蔥花蛋餅 cōnghuā dànbǐng scallion egg crepe
肉鬆蛋餅 ròusōng dànbǐng pork floss egg crepe

皮蛋瘦肉粥 pídàn shòu ròu zhōu rice porridge w/preserved egg
綠豆白米粥 lǜdòu báimǐ zhōu rice porridge w/green mung beans
番薯白米粥 fānshǔ báimǐ zhōu rice porridge w/sweet potato

豆漿 dòujiāng soy milk
鹹豆花 (豆腐腦) xián dòuhuā (dòufu nǎo) salty/savory tofu pudding
油條 yóutiáo "oily stick"/"Chinese crullers"

燒餅 shāobǐng sesame seed flatbread
韭菜餡餅 jiǔcài xiànbǐng Chinese-chive-stuffed pan-fried "latkes"

涼菜三拼 liángcài sān pīn three cold-dish combination
(may include choice of some of the following:)
麻辣牛筋 málà niú jīn beef tendon w/Sichuan peppercorns
夫妻肺片 fū qī fèi piàn marinated beef slices
涼馬鈴薯 liáng mǎlíngshǔ shredded potato
涼拌海帶絲豆芽 liángbàn hǎidài sī dòuyá shredded seaweed and bean sprout salad
麻辣海帶絲 málà hǎidài sī shredded seaweed w/Sichuan peppercorns
涼拌豆乾絲 liángbàn dòugān sī chilled pressed bean curd strips
紅油腐竹 hóngyóu fǔzhú bean curd sheet in chili oil
滷蛋 (3) lǔ dàn spiced soy sauce stewed eggs
拌黃瓜 bàn huángguā "smashed" cold cucumber salad
泡菜 pàocài pickled cabbage/"kimchi"
拌青菜 bàn qīngcài assorted greens (baby bokchoy)
拌豬耳 bàn zhū ěr chilled pig ear
香酥花生 xiāngsū huāshēng crispy fried peanuts
口水雞 kǒushuǐ jī "mouth-watering" cold mala chili oil cold chicken w/chopped peanuts and cilantro

麻辣牛肉湯麵 málà niúròu tāngmiàn spicy beef noodle soup
打鹵麵 dǎ lǔ miàn thickened spiced soy sauce stew noodles

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Come learn about and enjoy gōngfū chá (功夫茶) tea tasting.
We will aim to taste at least one "oolong" (烏龍) and one pǔ'ěr (普洱).
Tea tasting at the front tea bar typically works out to about $10/hour.

If the parking lot is full, you may park around the corner on Harmon Ave and walk on the sidewalk along the I-35 frontage road.

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Tea is a beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot water over leaves of the tea plant, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. The tea plant originated in the region which today is NE India/SW China.

The word for tea in almost every language is derived from either Hokkien (Amoy or Teochew dialects) tê or Cantonese (and later Mandarin) chá. Many major European languages (Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish), Tamil, and Telugu have words that come from the first pronunciation, while the words in Arabic, Hindi and many other Indian languages, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish derive from the second one, particularly the Persianized form chai.

Chrysanthemum, chamomile, cinnamon, ginger, hibiscus, lavender, peppermint, rooibos, and rosehip "teas" are infusions of bark, flowers, herbs, leaves, roots, or spices and not truly tea in the strict sense.

Every high quality tea has a variety of interesting and complex aromas and flavor notes that come through intensely or subtly, depending on the type and the steeping process. Most will have some "grassy" vegetable-like taste, with some astringent and/or bitter flavors. Some may even have a fruit-like sweetness. Appreciating these components is part of the enjoyment process.

烏龍/乌龙 ("Oolong") wū lóng "dark dragon"
毛蟹 máo xiè "hairy crab"
鐵觀音/铁观音 Tiěguānyīn ("Iron Goddess of Compassion"), 安溪 Ānxī County, 福建省 Fújiàn Province
大紅袍 Dà Hóng Páo ("big red robe"), from 武夷山 Wǔyí mountains, 福建省 Fújiàn Province

普洱 pǔ'ěr, traditionally from 雲南/云南 Yúnnán Province
生 shēng "raw"; unfermented; "classic pǔ'ěr"
熟 shú (or shóu) "ripe"; wet piling and fermented to simulate aged pǔ'ěr

Here's a list of famous teas, most with names in Chinese and English.

蓋碗/盖碗 gàiwǎn covered bowl, for steeping tea
公道杯 gōngdào bēi equity cup, for serving tea
茶杯 chábēi teacup, for tasting/drinking tea

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Participants should recognize and understand over one thousand words and be familiar with a variety of verb complements (不得了，到，好，起來，完). An ideal participant should be able to understand the use of 比 in comparisons, 把 in "disposal" constructions, and 被 to express passive voice. We will emphasize fairly standard Putonghua pronunciation but also work towards comprehending regional accents.

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During the meeting, please
[1] be in a distraction-free, quiet environment;
[2] use headphones to minimize audio feedback;
[3] pay close attention to melody, rhythm, and sounds.

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my favorite resources
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9:00 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" warm-up
大鹏说中文 Speak Chinese with Da Peng

Chinese Talk
Ep. 30 牛仔节
Speak Chinese 98 阿赛雷多
Ep. 31 压力是动力还是压力？
Speak Chinese 100 幸运内衣！
Ep. 31 手语
Ep. 32 台湾与大陆，不一样的中文
Ep. 33 请叫我 “地球人”
Ep. 34-1 华东 -vs- 大鹏
快来参加 “快问快答”
Ep. 34-2 谁最漂亮？
Speak Chinese 108 快问快答.1 小莲
Ep. 35 教授禁区

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9:15 发音 pronunciation/accent warm-up
紫 (zǐ; ㄗˇ) "purple"
指 (zhǐ; ㄓˇ) "finger"
词/詞 (cí; ㄘˊ) "word"
迟/遲 (chí; ㄔˊ) "late"
四 (sì; ㄙˋ) "four"
是 (shì; ㄕˋ) "to be"

tone pair practice

绕口令 (tongue twisters)

黑蝴蝶飞，
灰蝴蝶飞，
黑蝴蝶飞完，
灰蝴蝶飞。
Hēi húdié fēi,
Hūi húdié fēi,
Hēi húdié fēi wán,
Hūi húdié fēi.
The black butterfly flies
The gray butterfly flies.
After the black butterfly flies,
The gray butterfly flies.

知道就说知道，不知道就说不知道，
不要知道说不知道，也不要不知道说知道，
你知道不知道？
Zhīdào jiù shuō zhīdào, bùzhīdào jiù shuō bùzhīdào,
Bùyào zhīdào shuō bùzhīdào, yě bùyào bùzhīdào shuō zhīdào,
Nǐ zhīdào bùzhīdào?
If you know, just say you know; if you don’t know, just say you don’t know.
Neither know and say you don’t know, nor not know and say you know.
Do you know or don't ya?

这千字幕只是前年之前值钱。
Zhè qiān zìmù zhǐshì qiánnián zhīqián zhí qián.
These thousand subtitles were valuable only until the year before last.

这些是十四只紫色的狮子，各自想试试写四十个字，是不是？
Zhèxiē shì shísì zhǐ zǐsè de shīzǐ, gèzì xiǎng shìshì xiě sìshí gè zì, shì bùshì?
These are fourteen purple lions, (and) each wants to try to write forty characters, isn't that so?

我的印象是成都城市白天的长度会影响成都城市橙色的程度。
Wǒ de yìnxiàng shì Chéngdū chéngshì báitiān de chángdù huì yǐngxiǎng Chéngdū chéngshì chéngsè de chéngdù.
My impression is that the length of the day in the city of Chéngdū will affect the degree of orangeness in the city of Chéngdū.

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9:25 听力 listening / "comprehensible input" and study
瞎扯学中文 Convo Chinese
Ep. 17 加纳利岛上的爱情故事
Ep. 18 我也想要有一个小农场
Ep. 19 中国外国”职场文化“大不同
Ep. 20 在中国用Tinder是什么体验？
Ep. 21 插播一则征婚广告
Ep. 22 聊聊回国那些事儿
Ep. 23 四周隔离体验报告
Ep. 24 她是一名小网红

Princeton University Press
Eyes on China
All Things Considered
A Kaleidoscope of China
Anything Goes

Chillchat
putonghua
内卷，躺平 (anti-work)
春节
中文怪异
孤单
十二生肖
颜色
拿手菜 ("signature dish")
你最喜欢的中国菜
选择困难 ("decision fatigue")
极简主义 ("minimalism")
宇宙 (universe)
grammar

Eazy Mandarin
talkinchinese stories (HSK 4, HSK 5)
Yimin Chinese

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10:00 口语词汇 conversational vocabulary
Wǒde mā ya! "OMG"
Shénme guǐ? "What the hell?"

rénshānrénhǎi "people everywhere"
Nǐ xíng, nǐ shàng "Put up or shut up."
xiǎng dé měi "In your dreams!"; "Dream on!"
méimén; méimé'r "No way!"

huógāi (lit. “to live as deserved”) got what they deserve; serves them right
shuǎiguō (lit. "fling the pot") to "pass the buck" (compare: bēiguō "carry the pot"; take the blame)
wàng méi zhǐ kě (lit. “quench thirst by looking at plums") to satisfy one's desire only through one's imagination

Bù pà yīwàn, jiù pà wànyī. "Better (to be) safe than sorry."
Tàiyáng cóng xībian chūláile "when pigs fly"; "when Hell freezes over"

slang terms
10 20 30 Qz1 40 50 60 Qz2

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10:15 "comprehensible input" "cool down" and/or conversation
Excel Mandarin

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