54. Imaginer Discretion is Advised

欢迎光临! Welcome!

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The Mandarin Blueprint Podcast focuses primarily on The Mandarin Blueprint Method online curriculum. Creators Luke Neale & Phil Crimmins answer questions and comments, discuss topics related to China and Mandarin learning, and have special guests.

09:45 Props!

This blog post explains the theory behind props and Chinese character components.

RIVER NIXON ON “PICK A PROP 相“

The goat on a cow from Radiolab.

RYAN SMITH ON “PICK A PROP 页“

Constitution & Magna Carta seemed like too abstract/generic thing for me. Instead, I’m going with a scroll.

ABIGAIL ON “PICK A PROP 王“

Yul Brynner from ‘The King and I’

ABIGAIL ON “PICK A PROP 主“

Thenardier from Les Miserables. His song is ‘Master of the House’

CONNOR GRIFFITH ON “PICK A PROP 耂“

Going based of soil and a sword I’m thinking a garden hoe or a tiller would be appropriate.

CONNOR GRIFFITH ON “PICK A PROP 者 “

Jeff Dunham or any of his wacky puppets

CONNOR GRIFFITH ON “PICK A PROP 求“

An entitled person

JONATHAN PRITCHARD ON “PICK A PROP ?“

Bojack Horseman as the horsehead from the Godfather. Not forgetting that any time soon.

ELARY HALL ON “PICK A PROP 去“

How about a Chinese “to go” box?

RIVER NIXON ON “PICK A PROP 母“

Peg Bundy from the TV show Married With Children.

ALINA DANA COROIAN ON “PICK A PROP 手“

About 2 weeks ago I went with props 手 – Buddha’s hand and with 扌- Buddha’s finger. Also at that time the similarity seemed to help me remember and I thought I made a clever choice for these 2 props now I found it’s actually confusing for 2 different props to be connected like this. I could rember well the script but when it comes to my Buddha it’s: hmm…was it a finger or a hand?….I already found a solution to this replacing Buddha’s finger with Zeus finger (Only the name changed so I can easily adapt my scrips I already have in memory. It will be a bit nasty in the beginning but I think finally the new prop will find its place in my memory). I am writing this comment here only as a possible hint for other people not to make the same kind of mistake …I know the minds of different persons can function very different, still my experience may be of help for someone else.
By the way I made the finger of Zeus having a different fight technique to differentiate it from Buddha’s hand.

19:52 Actors! 

This blog post explains the theory behind actors and Pinyin Initials.

JONATHAN PRITCHARD ON “CASTING CALL RU- 6/55“

I picked Rambo, too! He fought the RUssians, so that was an easy one for me. (Sorry to the Russians who are in here.)

ELARY HALL ON “CASTING CALL QU 43/55“

Chewbacca seems like a logical choice!

PAUL TOMASOVIC ON “CASTING CALL MI- 29/55“

I used Mindy McConnell (actual name is Pam Dawber) from the Mork & Mindy TV show, which is so memorable because of how hilarious the show was with Robin Williams in it. Great show I watched as a child with lots of laughs. Plus, using the key point suggestion Phil gave in the “yong” make a movie, where he used John Lennon as an extra, with Yoko ono, I can already image some of the future fun movies I should be able to come up with using Robin Williams as a extra along with Mindy. I’m sure if you youtube the Mork & Mindy show and watch a few clips, it will surely brighten (ming) your day.

23:16 Sets! 

This blog post explains the theory behind sets and pinyin finals.

JONATHAN PRITCHARD ON “SET THE SCENE -ONG 4/13“

My high school girlfriend smoked a *lot* of weed all the time, so my ONG is bong at her house. I’ll never forget that! X^D

JONATHAN PRITCHARD ON “SET THE SCENE -AO 7/13“

I was an intern at Disney World, so I’m imagining the apartment I shared while working for the mOUse.

24:28 Movies! 

This blog post explains the theory behind Movie Scenes and learning characters.

MATEUSZ STRZELECKI ON “MAKE A MOVIE 几“

*** Viewer discretion is advised*** My friend Jill is holding a samurai sward and walks into the living room of my childhood home. There, she sees a huge, beautiful swan in the middle of the room. While she admires it, an idea pops into her head. She decides to make A FEW more of those beautiful (smaller) swans with the help of her samurai sward… #slash #slash #slash! ***Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in making this movie***

26:33 Miscellaneous 

MICHAEL WRIGHT ON “MANDARIN FINALS: CATEGORIZED“

Have to agree with the other comments. I’ve just passed my HSK2 and would have loved to have discovered these diagrams when meeting pinyin for the first time. The big pinyin chart suddenly doesn’t seem so big (or scary) any more!

27:33

ZUHDI DAOUD ON “NEW VOCABULARY UNLOCKED! 下来“

i completely understand the sentences without pinyin but i found my self reading it really slow just like a little child is that normal ? and i dont feel that i would remember to speak these sentences afterward ? do i still need to review them more often. thanks

30:24

GREGORY SAVAGE ON “SIMPLE FINAL E: 的 DE，他的 TĀDE，她的妈妈 TĀDE MĀMA，她的爸爸 TĀDE BÀBA“

should I just be practicing pronunciation or trying to learn vocab as well

31:51

STEVE HINDLE ON “SIMPLE FINAL A QUIZ“

As I’m British-born, living in America now, I can completely see how this is like ‘cat’, which was my answer; but my Shanghainese wife, just read this question and said it should be ‘father’ (she watches a lot of American movies) ?

So I suppose this is all in the ‘ear’ of the beholder – Tom’A’toes = Tom’ah’toes

33:10

ABIGAIL ON “IT’S A WORD! 周“

In the dialogue, why are measure words not used in 几周, 四周,几天 and 七天? (Is 几个周 optional/wrong?)

34:52

ROSAN BISHWAKARMA

Dear Luke and Phil,
I cannot thank you enough for come up with this innovative system! I told love to help you out! Also, just to be clear: you are going to release a new level each week, so you are not going to unlock all characters at one? Just asking because I am addicted to the course and think that one level a week might not be enough.
In any case, keep up the great work. You have certainly changed my approach to learning Chinese and infused me with new motivation for life! Seeing small progress every day in one area of your life really also affects other areas of life and I think I have become a more disciplined person because of you guys!All the best from Taipei,
Rosan