Send us a Text Message.Hi everyone! Welcome to a new episode of 5 Minute Chinese. It’s been a while since the last episode because I’ve been traveling in the U.S. and Japan. Now, I’m back in China and it’s great to see my family and friends again. Things here are improving, with new technologies making life easier, like visiting the doctor.The only downside is the internet. Many websites need a VPN, and even with Nord VPN, I couldn’t connect well and gave up. I wish I could keep up with my Ja...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! Welcome to a new episode of Five Minute Chinese. With this short episode, I just want to update you on my week. I shared that I was sick with a fever and body aches earlier this week, but my COVID-19, flu, and strep tests were all negative. Although I'm still not fully recovered, I'm grateful it's not serious. I also introduced a new feature on my podcast hosting site, Buzzsprout, called "fan mail," which allows listeners to send me messages, though I ca...
Send us a Text Message.In this episode of "5-Minute Chinese," I talk about preparing my students for their final exams with mock tests and home review. After exams, teachers will continue working on grading and planning for next year before starting our summer break. I'm excited about my upcoming trip, which is my first visit to China in five years, with a stop in Japan for sightseeing and a K-pop concert. The trip involves a lot of planning and learning Japanese, adding to my anticipation an...
Send us a Text Message.(If you notice the texting link above, it seems that my hosting site Buzzsprout is testing a new feature without creators enabling it: Buzzsprout's latest feature delivers listener love straight to your phone — Fan Mail! We dive into how we've been secretly testing this new tool and how you can turn it on for your own podcast. I don't know how it will work otu)Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of "5 Minute Chinese." Today, I'm sharing a recent health condition....
Send us a Text Message.In this episode of "Five Minutes Chinese," I share the excitement and significance of prom night, a cherished tradition for American high school students. I recount my experience of volunteering at our school's prom, from the meticulous preparations to the elegant attire and the joyous atmosphere created by photographers and DJs. I also reveal the heartfelt story behind my special yellow dress, a gift from my students, marking our seven-year journey from middle school t...
Send us a Text Message.In this episode of "5 Minutes Chinese," I delve into the captivating topic of solar eclipses, known as 日食 (rì shí) in Chinese. I recently witnessed a partial solar eclipse on April 8th here in the United States, and I share insights into the scientific principle behind these phenomena. While some regions enjoyed a total eclipse, my East Coast location only saw a partial eclipse, called 日偏食 (rì piān shí). Despite this, I share my excitement and attempts to photograph the...
Send us a Text Message.Hi everyone! Today's episode delves into the significance of March 15th in China, designated as Consumer Rights Day. It aims to heighten awareness about consumer protection, shedding light on issues like deceptive marketing, subpar product quality, and exorbitant pricing. This year's examples range from the sale of inferior food products to overpriced items with false health claims. It reminds consumers to stay vigilant, understand their rights, and report any violation...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone, welcome to the latest episode of "5 Minute Mandarin." Today, I want to chat with you about my experiences with driving in the United States. As you may know, having a car is essential in most parts of the US, unlike in China where I never felt the need to drive. Upon moving to the US, I relied on public transportation and walking, as my first city had good infrastructure for both. However, when I found a job in a smaller town, owning a car became necessa...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! Happy Lunar New Year! In today's podcast I talk about Lunar New Year celebratory activities at school. We went on a field trip on Tuesday, including a hotpot buffet meal and a visit to the Asian supermarket next door. We also did various other activities such as Chinese paper cutting and a "Cake Day" on Friday, where students brought cakes to celebrate. I also share my own Lunar New Year traditions, including wearing red, especially because it's my zodia...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! In this episode I discuss the difficulty of learning Chinese compared to other languages, using the Foreign Service Institute's categorization. It classifies languages into four levels of difficulty for English speakers. Chinese is considered a "super-hard language," requiring approximately 88 weeks (2200 class hours) to achieve general professional fluency. By comparison, Spanish requires 30 weeks (750 class hours). While the ease of learning a lan...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! Welcome to a new episode of 5 Minute Chinese. I want to begin by thanking you for listening to my podcast. I sincerely hope that it helps make learning Mandarin Chinese authentic and fun. Secondly, I want to update you on the busy period from the end of last year to the beginning of 2024. I share the unusually short winter break , lasting less than two weeks. After the brief break, teachers worked hard to finalized the semester grades and comments, ...
Send us a Text Message.Hi all! Welcome to another episode of '5 Minutes Chinese'! In today's episode, we delve into the intriguing world of '轻断食' or intermittent fasting. I share my personal experiences with intermittent fasting and talk about the potential benefits, from weight management to improved insulin sensitivity, and overall health. Have you tried light fasting, or do you have questions about it? I would love to hear your story! You can share your thoughts by email or leaving a comme...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! In this episode of 5-Minute Chinese, I want to share my personal experience with my recently purchased Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset. I talked about what VR is and my experience with the popular game Beat Saber. I also acknowledge some comfort issues, especially for glasses wearers like me. But overall I'm really satisfied with the virtual experience and look forward to exploring more on Meta Quest 2. If you also have a VR set, I would love to hea...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! In this episode, I explore the modern hustle culture in the US and the pursuit a slower-paced living. I delve into the good and bad the contrasting worlds of relentless ambition and intentional simplicity and talk about how we can balance both life styles. Support the Show.It's truly an honor that my podcast can provide help and value to you. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. If you like 5 Minute Chinese, please help me by subs...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! In today's episode, I answer the question: Do Chinese people celebrate Thanksgiving? The short answer is no. Thanksgiving is not a holiday in China. However, China has its own harvest festival: the Mid-Autumn Festival. Though only a handful of countries celebrate "Thanksgiving", a lot of cultures have harvest festivals with a family feast focusing on family reunions and celebrating abundance. Thanks for listening. Scripts and useful expressio...
Send us a Text Message.Hello, everyone! Welcome to another episode of 5 Minutes Chinese! In today's episode I want to share how I celebrated my birthday with a wonderful performance by the Beijing Dance Theater based on the Oscar Wilde fairy tale "The Nightingale and the Rose." Thank you for tuning in. Find the script and useful expression below. Have a great week!大家好欢迎收听新一期的5分钟中文！大家这周过得怎么样呢？对于我来说，这周最重要的事就是我的生日。而在我生日的这天正好是北京当代芭蕾舞团来我们这儿巡演。其实，这件事还是我的一个美国同事告诉我的。不知道她是从哪儿看到北京当代芭蕾舞团要来我们这儿巡演。最开始听说的时...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! Today I talk about a friend's recent trip to China. This episode is not scripted like I always do. As my friend just returned to the US today, I asked her about her experiences. If you recall, in Episode 114, I discussed why you might want to think twice about traveling to China. In today's episode, we talk about how her trip aligns with the challenges I previously mentioned, such as navigating China without a Chinese phone number and bank account ...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! In today's episode I describe my first time experience watching a cross country race at a local park and share the excitement and joy of seeing my students participate in the race, and the sense of fulfillment that comes from witnessing their accomplishments. It was such a positive experience to be part of students' success and the wider community. Scripts and useful expression below. Let me know if you have any questions or have any suggestions. H...
Send us a Text Message.Hello everyone! Hope you are each well! Today's episode discusses the topic of foreign celebrities who can speak Chinese. The first two notable examples are Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, who made an effort to speak Chinese during a visit to Beijing, and Kevin Rudd, the former Australian Prime Minister, who is known for his deep understanding of Chinese culture and fluency in Mandarin. Lastly we have John Cena, a WWE wrestler, actor, and TV host, who has impressed au...
Send us a Text Message.In this episode of "5 Minutes in Chinese," I discuss the influence of traditional Chinese medicine and wellness principles from the ancient classic The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic or "Huangdi Neijing." I specifically highlights the concept of the "Five Strains," which are habits or postures that can harm health if not managed. I also emphasize the importance of adapting to the changing seasons and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. These ancient principles align with ...
amir rahimy
你好 我学汉语