Ah! That’s How It Is Done! For Chinese 华语

I always wonder how they get the Chinese characters. I thought it was always a special software that will emulate the keyboard like Thai Language. But so many characters, the keyboard can handle meh! But No! Just select Chinese from language. It is a good thing my nieces give me a hint where to find.

Now I know why I could not get it all the time, I used company laptop. Company laptop did not install Chinese as we won’t use it. When I used my personal laptop, it was Ah! Ha! so simple.

This makes life easier, just type the pin yin(拼音) and select the character you want. Now I understand why my Chinese teacher (汉语老师) emphasizes so much on Han Yu Pin Yin (汉语拼音). As I improved my Chinese, I hope in future I will be able to blog in Chinese.

Now I will use this to look for the Chinese character I don’t know.

I find Chinese is so difficult, when you don’t know the character, with the sound or pin yin you have no idea where to start. Not like English, you can roughly spell it out. I am beginning to find Chinese is a beautiful language, you can describe something or a situation with just a few words.

Being educated in Malaysia National School, I never know knowing Chinese is so important until I had to go to China for assignment.

I never bother to really learn it up until I was stopped by Mat Salleh (white skin westerner) a few times when I go oversea. They would talk to me in Chinese, I would stared and replied shi(是,yes) and bu shi (不是,no). I understand them but find it hard to reply, so I go shi and bu shi. When I cannot stand it anymore, I would replied don’t you speak English. They would be so surprised, you are not from Taiwan (replied no) then you are from Singapore (replied no). Where are you from? I am from Malaysia. I did not go to a Chinese school. The first time it did not get to me but after a few times, I tell myself, I must brush up my spoken Chinese. I went for classes but did not practice, was forgotten until I need to liaise with colleague from China. After a few years, I was not happy I can listen and speak. I wanted to be able to write and read, went for classes again. I am giving myself 2 years to really pick it up. I want my Chinese to be as good as my English.

I always tell myself, what is wrong not knowing Chinese, I am born in Malaysia, I am a Malaysian Chinese. So it is okay not to know. I guess I was wrong, when you have the Chinese skin, you are expected to know Chinese.