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Summer in China!

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.
 

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
A friend of mine went there a few years ago to teach English. Came back with a wife.
 

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.


Congratulations!!! that is awesome.

sorry, i have never been to china; so i can offer no advice.

i hope you have an amazing experience!!!!
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.

You will not need your Chinese, and they will want you to speak English all the time. You will find a highly ordered polite structured world around you, and well planned out. The city does have a historical and modern side, but almost all orderly rebuilt according to careful planning. You won't be there long enough to have any kind of serious in depth involvement with China.

I love the food. The spicy stuff is a mix of hot pepper, and what they call juajiao (flower pepper) which has lips numbing heat. My favorite was the stinky fermented tofu loaded with hot sauce.

Interesting side note: When I lived in China in from 1998 to 2006 Chongqing had a notorious organized crime reputation, but I think the Chinese government stepped in and heads rolled.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.

You dont need to know any Mandarin. They will want
to practice their English, not your Chinese!

Have fun, hope you like it!
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.
Be sure to greet everyone with the standard.....
Sheng wo de....ah, never mind.
 

Enoch07

It's all a sick freaking joke.
Premium Member
Have fun, prepare for some....unconventional food. The food there is nothing like the Chinese restaurants in the west!
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
Have fun, prepare for some....unconventional food. The food there is nothing like the Chinese restaurants in the west!

I've a girlfriend from Szechuan, so I've had some of the real stuff and have loved it. Definitely looking forward to more.
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.

Hint, do not use Mandarin, a western word not liked by many Chinese. Use 'Standard Chinese, or Putong Hua. Look it up to get the pronunciation right. You may take Chinese lessons when your there, but not much use for a short time. If you like it there you would have to go back for some intensive Chinese immersion without much teaching English, . . careful everything is an illusion of politeness with a purpose from the western perspective
 
Last edited:

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
I have just been accepted to teach a two-week graduate-level math course in Chongqing China this summer.

I have to admit to a bit of nervousness. My Mandarin is scanty. The course is supposed to be an English immersion course for the students, but of course, it will be a Chinese immersion for me. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for what to see/do in Chongqing? I know it is really hot there in the summer. I also know I *love* spicy Szechuan food.

2 weeks, nice trip, would not mind visiting Chongqing myself, but I would not count on learning a whole lot of Mandarin in 2 weeks. Also it is not your standard Beijing Mandarin, which is what most consider proper Mandarin in China. But it is Mandarin, because my wife can speak to them rather easily.

You can get Sichuan (Szechuan) food there but Sichuan itself is about 590KM away
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
Hint, do not use Mandarin, a western word not liked by many Chinese. Use 'Standard Chinese, or Putong Hua or Zhong Wen. Look it up to get the pronunciation right. You may take Chinese lessons when your there, but not much use for a short time. If you like it there you would have to go back for some intensive Chinese immersion without much teaching English, . . careful everything is an illusion of politeness with a purpose from the western perspective

I've also seen Han Wen and Han Yu. Are those not good?
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I've also seen Han Wen and Han Yu. Are those not good?

Okay, but avoid 'Mandarin.' because it is an archaic colonial word. There are many distinctive regional dialects in China, but Chongqing is one of the areas that pride themselves in speaking standard Chinese
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
I've also seen Han Wen and Han Yu. Are those not good?

Han Wen is not the best, because it can refer to pinyin transcription, and Error on my part Zhong Wen refers to Chinese people. Han yu works, but also refers to a famous person and when pronounced differently refers to the South Korean language.
 
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