Spending time in a foreign country without trying to learn the language is (in my opinion) rude, so I've decided I should at least attempt to learn the Chinese language before I go. Unfortunately, there is no "The Chinese Language;" the various languages and dialects spoken in China have less in common than, for instance, French and German... and we consider them different languages.
That said, though, Mandarin and Cantonese are the most widely-spoken dialects, in that order. So I should definitely learn one of those two. Mandarin is spoken in more places, and is the "official" language of China, so it would be the obvious choice, right? But wait -- Hong Kongers mainly speak Cantonese, so that one would make more sense. Except -- they also all speak English, and since Mandarin is easier to learn, and it's a second-or-third language to most Hong Kongers, maybe that one makes more sense to learn? I've gone back and forth on this many times... and I've landed on trying to learn Mandarin. It's easier, and covers a wider area, and may even -- who knows? -- someday become the official language of the USA, the way things are going.
So Mandarin it is! Got me some language tapes at Barnes & Noble... But so far, all these one-syllable, sing-song noises just sound to me like hamsters ricocheting off frying pans ("Ping! Zing! Ka-Pinggg!")
Nonetheless, I am seriously starting to look forward to this trip... It'll be an opportunity to experience another culture, meet new people, find new ways of creating acid indigestion... plus, I'm looking forward to my first dental emergency in a land where they solve every health problem by sticking needles into your flesh...
