Blog
Spring Awakening
In which my thoughts turn to studying Chinese, Arabic, and Russian.
Last week I thought to myself, it would be cool to learn some Chinese characters right around now. Even though I spent a little time on Chinese some years back, I focused on spoken skills and pinyin and never learned…
Reviews
Chung Hwa Bookstore
Mandarin, Bookstores/Libraries, Kids
I visited this bookstore in Flushing’s Chinatown soon after I began my Mandarin studies, and boy, did I feel helpless! I could not read a word. A friendly Chung Hwa employee helped me out, giving me advice on which…
Astoria, Queens, for Greek
Greek, Neighborhoods
Astoria, a neighborhood in northwestern Queens, has significant Greek history and influences. According to Wikipedia, in the 1960s it had the largest Greek population outside of Greece. When I went to Astoria to look for signs of Greek in mid-2010,…
Little Brazil, Manhattan
Portuguese, Neighborhoods
Little Brazil in New York City is little. It lies on 46th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, and there are on this particular block enough other languages/countries represented in the retail establishments that in the past, when walking…
Spanish Language Meetup Groups
Spanish, Classes/Conversation, Social
Yeah, you could go to a Meetup group for Spanish. Alternatively, in various parts of the country, you could simply walk outside your building or down the block. Spanish is so common in New York that I guess I personally…