learning Chinese started out as just a party gimmick - a cool thing to do to test my skills. After spending several years learning Spanish, I flirted with the idea of learning a totally different tongue. I had become interested in the history and culture of the country in high school, but it wasn't until a few years later that I took Chinese 101 and started learning the language.
It was just another class at that point. I was an English Linguistics major taking Chinese as a language requirement.
Gradually I realized that my interests had begun to change. I was spending all my extra time studying Chinese--and loving it. Weeks into my first semester studying Chinese I considered minoring in the language. A few weeks later and I decided to change my major entirely and dedicate myself to Chinese.
I was on cloud nine. I had never been more excited about a decision than I had about the switch to Chinese as a major.
The semester after, however, reminded me that of the challenging reality of trying to master Chinese. Some days in Chinese 102 made me so frustrated that I wanted to cry.
I didn't give up. I kept my eyes on the goal of chinese fluency. In the summer of 2011 I even had the chance to go study abroad in Sichuan and improve my language abilities.
The characters on the bag come from a quote from Mao Zedong, founding father of the People's Republic of China. Translated literally it says "study well and go upwards every day." It's a quote about constant progress. Pinned to the bag is a button that says 理想, which means a "dream" or "ideal." While the challenges continue, I feel firmly in control of my study of Chinese. It is more than a challenge, it's a pursuit, a dream, and a passion.
My feelings are fairly common among those of us studying Chinese. It is a very exciting, challenging, rewarding discipline. It is also often frustrating, and progress is so gradual that it is difficult to discern.
but, oh, is it worth it.
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