我真的沒有意志 我覺得學習上最重要的事就是學習意志。 現在我在臺灣最有名最好的大學，可是我的老師禁止我用英文問問題。我用中文問問題真的沒有辦法清清楚楚地說明哪裡不明白。我的感覺，我應該麻煩我的朋友，我的女朋友，請他們幫我要不然我什麼問題都不懂。 Just unbelievable. Thank you for nothing.

放棄了。。 放棄了 我開始學中文的時侯我認識很多人，有的人很願意幫我學中文。我聽說過中國人特別怕丟人，當你生氣的時侯不表現自己真的感情。雖然我第一個認識的中國人特別客氣又友好也比我聰明但是我記得有幾個不太客氣的人，好像他們不太怕丟人。有一個女孩，她總是叫我＂guy＂對我來說特別不客氣。還有一個女孩，我問她一個學中文的問題她就回答 ＂你是學中文嗎？ You have a long way to go＂.... 現在我有好幾個中國大陸也台灣朋友，他們都學英文，大部分覺得英文很難學。我覺得中文不是難學的話可是中文肯定比英文需要更多時間。我們談論關於語言的問題我總是說：要是你想學會中文你應該化很多時間寫字。你看書的時侯你也不知道怎麼念字，它們的發音怎麼說出來。對我來說好像中文就是兩個語言。學英文的人，如果會寫字也會簡單地說出來句話。所以說中文的人從小的時侯已經學會中文字又它們的發音，中文對他們來說不一定比英文容易學可是英文不需要那麼多時間，會進步得比較快。這是我的想法。 最近我沒有意志，好像我進步得太慢，學習中文現在不是開心的事了。我的老師禁止我上課的時侯用英文問問題。中文跟瑞典語和英文完全不一樣，我的中文水平也不夠高，我不能用中文說明哪裡不明白，真的太麻煩了！我覺得這裡的學校想法都很奇怪。本來我總是很用功，可是現在上課就是很麻煩了。我記得我以前的中文老師，她真的太好，總是很快樂而且給我們啓發。 （P.S. 下面不是我的照片）

I love Taipei I Love Taipei (Firstly, sorry if I offended anyone living in Taipei, but these are things that happened to me, things I have no control over, up to this point I only wrote what happened, and I still do.) A few months ago, me and my girlfriend were verbally attacked by some Taipei resident who was driving past us on a scooter. Today, a random middle-aged man grunted; "waiguoren!" as he passed me on the "sidewalk". The Taiwanese still stare at me as well. Seemingly unprovoked I get these unfriendly encounters every now and then. Frankly, it's starting to piss me off. Say it to my face, you ignorant cowards.

Life and Death (note: I wrote this without abbrevating the "do not, will not, it is" etc. To me it sounds a bit awkward, but maybe someone could enlighten me about when and why you should use abbreviations and vice versa.) Life and Death I think death, to most people is something they rather not think or talk about, I am normally one of those people. I think the realisation that everything I am and everything I ever accomplished will just be gone one day, is just too overwhelming. Until now, I have studied or worked, preparing for my adult life. Just like everyone else, done all the necessary things we do not really choose by ourself, but we do it anyway because it is the reasonable thing to do. Although, if I would die tomorrow, I would feel like I had not accomplished anything in my life, it is such a total feeling of hopelessness. I talked to my parents on the computer today, half-way into the conversation my mom casually said that my grandfather had passed away. There had always been bad blood between my mom and her father, actually, I only saw him twice during my adult life. I never had any real relation to him and by the time I first met him he was so sick, that he could not even recognise his wife, daughter or grandson. Until this writing moment I still feel nothing, and my mom seemed very indifferent about it as well, I just can not believe it! Life and death just makes me confused. I always wondered what I am supposed to achieve in life, maybe it is enough to love and be loved, because as ashamed as I am to say it, I really wish that I will not leave this world like my grandfather did.

動詞+起+object+來 I recently studied this pattern. My question is: Why/when is this preferred over 動詞+object? Examples; 吃飯，吃起飯來。打起電話來，打電話。下起雨來，下雨。 PLEASE do not answer in Chinese, I beg of you.

Sigh... Last week my class had our mid-term examination, and today we got the results as well as comments from the teacher. -Fengrui, come in. I think your grades are good, here, look for yourself. *points at the score-chart in her notebook. -Oh yes, one more thing... Don't speak English in class. -I think it's a good idea to aim high, but sometimes I have to use English to express what I can't express in Chinese, to avoid misunderstandings, and to save time. After all, our Chinese is still very limited at best. -Well, it's not fair to the Japanese students, they don't understand when you speak English. -They came here on their own initiative even though they can't speak English or Chinese. I think it's very brave to come here without any means of communication, but with all due respect, I don't think it's my concern. -Don't speak English in class, thank you. -I think it's not reasonable, but it seems like I have no choice. -Don't speak English, thank you. -It seems like I have no choice. *awkward silence... I leave the room.

Without Water for 30 Days I feel so annoyed lately, like a kid with low blood sugar, anything makes me whine... Today at class, my classmate told me that in Korea you can live a normal life without eating food or drinking water for 30 days, it's no problem. As long as you go for needle therapy a hour every day you will be fine. - I don't believe that for a second, do you mean that you are in a coma, with IV plugged in for 30 days? - No many girls do this, but you have to be REALLY fat too, like this, otherwise it won't work. *raising her arms in a circular motion. That is the weirdest conversation I have had in months, and I can't let it go either. I've been frustrated lately, being an alien here in Taiwan. People stare at me like if I was an ivory unicorn prancing the street. Also, there are no such thing as sidewalks, those who survive the traffic live on, the less fortunate perish, so is the circle of life. That's frustrating enough, but also, whether I am crossing the street or walking on the "sidewalk", I always have to do the "left-right-left"-dance with people on bicycles. It's like if every bike sold in Taiwan comes with a free year supply of no-common-sense-whatsoever. However I must give credits to the last lady who almost mutilated me, at least she said; "thank you!" as I tumble-rolled into a noodle shop. Basically these 2 months has aged me 40 years, not physically, but mentally I have turned into a 63 year old grumpy man, mumbling and waving his fist at others. Although, as unnatural and malplaced I am for this place, I want to say special thanks to Sonia, the dinner was lovely, and you haven't tried to kill me with a bike yet. // Old grumpy man

夜貓子 (writing exercise) If you would like to correct this text, please give me constructive criticism. Don't just say "that part sounds weird" (yes it has happened, more than once). Also, please, if possible, don't write your correction in Chinese, it's like putting out a fire with gasoline. (just makes things worse) Thank you! 夜貓子 今年初的時侯我還在瑞典，還學中文又工作，很簡單的生活。我現在在想那個時候，我覺得時間過得很快，而且我生活最近有很大的變化。我不但搬到台灣去了，而且今年七月我第一次跟我的夢想的小姑娘見面。 本來我們在italki認識的，她學英文，我學中文。其實我對italki很感謝，這裡不但有很多好人，而且沒有italki的話我大概不能找到她。雖然中國比瑞典早六七個小時我們每天聊天，送照片，時間每次過得很快。我在工作或者在大學的時侯我都在想她。早上的時侯我常接她的短信，那兩個月對我來說很美好的。 七月我去了中國大陸參加一個中文比賽，那個比賽外國學習中文的學生都有機會參加。今年的漢語橋比賽在大陸的長沙，我們一起決定我們在長沙會見面。那個時候我很清楚地記得；晚上到了，我坐出租車去她的地址。那個地方沒有很多人，忽然我看到她，雖然我很正確就是她但是她比我想的更可愛。我從出租車裡面看她一會，就出去了。 我們離開長沙以後我們去了北京，然後去了台灣。一共在一起一個月，那個月就是我的生活之一最好的。但是最後我們分開了。 現在我們分開差不多兩個月，每天用QQ聊天。她是我的夢想的小姑娘所以我們分開的時侯我當然很想她，但是我們用QQ的時侯我很沮喪，我覺得我寫的字不夠了，不能表示我的感覺。我愛你不夠了...

Exception of An Exception I. During my time studying Chinese I have been told to use Subject+Place+Verb, it should be the most common way to make a sentence structure. 他在學校學習。 II. Verbs that have no movement, are exceptions, like; 站，放， 住, making it Subject+Verb+在+Place. 他住在三樓。 III. Also, there is an exception to the exception, 他走在路上。走 is most definately an action with movement, but still has the same structure (Subject+Verb+在+Place.) as (II.) Exceptions to exceptions, it feels like a damn nightmare.