Anyone learning Mandarin as a non-native will probably, at some stage of their learning journey, curse at how much of a pain it is. Whether you’re struggling with the tones, the pinyins, or the characters, you’re almost assured that it requires some hair-pulling moments.
I thought I’d share some insight into our day-to-day life embracing the language. But before I do, allow me to contextualize the way Chinese played as the undertone in my life.
I am a Singaporean of Chinese descent. However, like many others growing up outside of China, I could barely speak a word of mandarin until age 6.