Anyone free? My girl is tied up for the next few hours. I’m thinking of getting some games in.
Give a call if you have time.
cool, so you’re pretty fluent in chinese? if you ever come back to orlando you should teach me!
I’m still a long way from fluent. I get by in day to day stuff mostly fine, but complex or abstract things are beyond my expression still. For example, I can go buy stuff fine, but no talking about the meaning of life, heh.
Don’t forget! This Saturday, Shuangjing. Han and I are talking about getting out there really early to get a lot of practice in. Maybe like 11ish. There will probably be a team tourney too, so definitely plan on coming out. We’ll get teams sorted on Saturday.
edit: btw, are these google ads tripping up the great firewall of china for anyone else? I’m getting randomly blocked on page loads now.
Team tourney at Shuangjing on the 28th. 3 people per team, must be different characters.
I’m going to put a team together for it, so let me know if you want to participate.
I’ll be in Beijing this Sunday (22nd) for 2 weeks. Is this arcade at Shuangjing busy during weekdays?
If anyone would want to meet up to play some SF4/3S/CVS2 just let me know!
The second week I could join u. This week mid term exams, a lil bit busy…
I’m not going to be able to do the team tourney on the 28th. I have to substitute teach a class for my gf. No one signed up anyway, but just an FYI.
JD, I imagine I can get out next weekend. I’ll PM you this week.
Sounds good. I arrived last night and I’m staying at a friends place in between the Peking University East Gate and Wudaokou metros.
I’m probably going to go check out Shuangjing just to see where it is but when you guys are free just let me know and we can try to meet up.
Who is up for some games tomorrow afternoon/evening/night?
Sorry if anyone tried to reach me yesterday. My phone was out of minutes and I didn’t realize it.
I might be able to do some games after dinner tonight. Not sure yet.
I’m still around (sort of)…
I think I’ll be very free from mid-Dec. on. Also, does anyone have any tips for looking for temporary housing? I will have to start looking for a place for January…
Got a question about Hanzi. I was talking to a buddy the other day and he mentioned that universities, for their Chinese classes, teach Traditional and you study Simplified on your own time. I mentioned that the class I’m currently in only teaches Simplified, and he seemed to think that was a bad idea.
So my question is, before you guys went to China, did your Chinese class teach one over the other or both?
Thanks in advance.
Simplified Chinese characters are mostly used in mainland China and Singapore. Traditional Chinese characters are used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many overseas Chinese communities (at least Chinatowns in US and Canada)
Most people learn Chinese with the intention on doing something with mainland China. Unless you plan on doing anything with Hong Kong (Cantonese, particularly), Taiwan, or learn Chinese calligraphy, you’re better off just learning simplified characters and not bother too much with traditional characters.
Most university courses will teach simplified characters, but many teach both or allow the use of either. Usually the ones who will encourage you to fully learn traditional characters have a bias towards Taiwan or are old-fashioned as fuck. Simplified characters are much, much easier to write and will save you a lot of time and headache if you plan to take a course. It’s better to first learn to write in simplified and then you can slowly learn to READ traditional. I find that many Chinese people don’t know how to write traditional characters anymore even though almost all can read them.
This becomes obvious when you have to write very common words that you will probably use every day.
For example:
??? = ??? = Why
? = ? = This
? = ? = general measure word
?? = ?? = We
? = ? = After
? = ? = Side
? = ? = past tense (indicating “have done something”)
There are many others that I can’t think of at the moment.
Me personally? I learned strictly simplified Characters in university. I’ve slowly learned to recognize some traditional because: I also study Japanese, I speak Cantonese and vernacular written Cantonese in HK is only in traditional, and I frequent North American Chinatowns. I’m in China now and I have zero regrets focusing almost entirely on simplified characters.
That’s pretty much the gist of it. I’ll end up studying some traditional at some point for grad programs, but unless you’re going to live in Taiwan/HK/Macao, I wouldn’t really worry about it too much. Simplified is the mainland standard.
You still get the odd Taiwanese traditional character nazi at American colleges, but they’re just mad cause they lost the war. =p
OK, seriously, we need to get some games together this weekend. We haven’t played in too long.
Jared, tell your girlfriend that you’re leaving her for a bunch of men this weekend.
Thanks for the heads up. Did some reading into it and it basically said the same thing. I want to learn Traditional more because I think it looks better but I’m just finishing out this semester and the next then I’ll probably start incorporting Traditional more into the studies.
Sounds beast Pensuke. I really hope I’ll have time to hit up mainland next year. I’m trying to avoid the summmer time but I don’t think I’ll have time in the spring. I hope to tho’…
Hey guys! I saw this discussion about a Beijing fighting game scene so I just had to register and make myself known! 
I’ve been studying here since September and I’ve been looking for some people to play fighting games with. I have my MSN on my profile so feel free to add me! :rock:
Cool, where do you study currently? I’m at BLCU.
I study at the Beijing Information Science and Technology uni. It’s in the Qinghe area. Not too bad :lol: I was doing my graduate studies in Sunderland University, UK and they hooked me up.
So I need to play some games tomorrow or I’m going to freak out and kill someone.
Let me know who is down. If you want to join me that’s cool, otherwise I’m flying solo.
edit: 1pm friday, I’m running out the door. Everyone should have my number. Call if you want to join.