for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

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for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby akikaki1 » 21 Apr 2012, 08:26

Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby Gryphon » 21 Apr 2012, 09:39

akikaki1 wrote:Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?


Yes, it's worth learning Chinese...unless you don't mind signing legal documents that you can't read or getting swindled.
It's also easier to talk to people when you can communicate in their language.
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby jimipresley » 21 Apr 2012, 09:54

Gryphon wrote:
akikaki1 wrote:Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?


Yes, it's worth learning Chinese...unless you don't mind signing legal documents that you can't read or getting swindled.

I've lived in Taiwan for 11 years, and I've never signed a "legal document" that wasn't translated into English. As for getting "swindled", sorry, hasn't happened yet.

It's also easier to talk to people when you can communicate in their language.


Well, that's reciprocal, isn't it? Anyway, I rarely talk to people I don't know. They don't interest me.
You can live here and have a great life and not be the least bit into living the local life. Clowns will try to diss you for it saying you gotta get down with the program, but fuck em, treat this place like a buffet and yous be on a diet. Take what you want and nothing extra, slam those oysters, but leave the bread sticks and dinner rolls behind. - Deuce Dropper

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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby akikaki1 » 21 Apr 2012, 10:03

jimipresley wrote:
Gryphon wrote:
akikaki1 wrote:Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?


Yes, it's worth learning Chinese...unless you don't mind signing legal documents that you can't read or getting swindled.

I've lived in Taiwan for 11 years, and I've never signed a "legal document" that wasn't translated into English. As for getting "swindled", sorry, hasn't happened yet.

It's also easier to talk to people when you can communicate in their language.


Well, that's reciprocal, isn't it? Anyway, I rarely talk to people I don't know. They don't interest me.


So for you was it worth while learning mando?
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby Deuce Dropper » 21 Apr 2012, 10:07

jimipresley wrote:
Gryphon wrote:
akikaki1 wrote:Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?


Yes, it's worth learning Chinese...unless you don't mind signing legal documents that you can't read or getting swindled.

I've lived in Taiwan for 11 years, and I've never signed a "legal document" that wasn't translated into English. As for getting "swindled", sorry, hasn't happened yet.

It's also easier to talk to people when you can communicate in their language.


Well, that's reciprocal, isn't it? Anyway, I rarely talk to people I don't know. They don't interest me.


Fuckin Jimi, always nailing it. :bravo:

What kind of 'legal documents' are people singing and getting swindled on? NDAs? Rep Agreements? Rental agreements? Work contracts? etc... And if they are important why are you signing them without a lawyer or a translated copy? That is reckless and stupid. This is not a language issue, it is a common sense one.

Regarding the putong-hua, I think most of us study for a while, get to a functional level (where we can handle our daily shit, chat with a cabbie, have a few Mandarin speaking friends, pick up chicks etc...) and then we basically curtail our studies and add to our Mandarin by picking things up as we go along. Sure we'd all love to be fluent but for most of us it isn't a necessity, an asset of course, but a necessity...no.
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby jimipresley » 21 Apr 2012, 10:18

akikaki1 wrote:So for you was it worth while learning mando?

Did you read my post?
You can live here and have a great life and not be the least bit into living the local life. Clowns will try to diss you for it saying you gotta get down with the program, but fuck em, treat this place like a buffet and yous be on a diet. Take what you want and nothing extra, slam those oysters, but leave the bread sticks and dinner rolls behind. - Deuce Dropper

I'm much more of a nasty rotter in real life, especially with vapid or vacuous verbiage from the ill read & intellectually challenged. - TheGingerMan
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby akikaki1 » 21 Apr 2012, 10:28

jimipresley wrote:
akikaki1 wrote:So for you was it worth while learning mando?

Did you read my post?


Still wasn't sure if you thought it was worthwhile lol.
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby tommy525 » 21 Apr 2012, 12:36

The problem with learning mando in taiwan is that essentially its not essential you can speak it and therein is quintessentially your problem.

Besides mando f*cks up your english anyway.

Still i cant fathom not speaking and understanding mando and livin on the wan for say ten anos.
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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby Dragonbones » 21 Apr 2012, 13:24

akikaki1 wrote:Was it worth the time and effort? How did it affect your life in Taiwan?


For me, yes, it was worth it. I love learning languages, and came to Taiwan just to become fluent in Mandarin.
It affected my life greatly -- the ability to converse fluently with locals, the friendships I made in the process, the ability to read signs, packages and menus -- all greatly improved my experience.
Pleasure is spread through the earth In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. —William Wordsworth

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Re: for those who know Mandarin was it worth it?

Postby Icon » 21 Apr 2012, 13:53

Well, it may have been more time than I was willing to invest in a single language but it has made my life in Taiwan easier in every way, since being able to maneuver independently, keep up with what happens around you by yourself and not depend on third parties "understanding" is priceless. Not easy, won't be a fast return investment, but it works so far.
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