Survived my first lesson. Liz (Steffey) is a gentle teacher, and does not perceptible flinch at my pronounciation. She’s our young project assistant for the GUANXI newsletter and a tremendous enthusiast for what we’re doing. Besides that, she’s quite confident that I–and everyone else on staff, over time–can learn Chinese. And she is determined to make it happen. I need that, and I hope that through this blog I can convey Liz’s confidence and her precise, helpful instruction.

Today’s lesson was quite simple (Liz knows I am nervous). We chose a book–the simplest of my collection, called Getting By in Chinese–and read through a simple list of essential phrases Liz had prepared. My favorite is “Wo xihuan zhu yi zhu”: I like to cook (and cook). And we did cook this evening: Chinese rice, master sauce chicken, and stir-fried broccoli. But we spoke in English.