Language Lesson #2

Jeff and I have been studying nine hours of Chinese each week.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning a sitter comes to watch the girls and we go to a local language school for three hours.  We each study seperately with different teachers.  It is set up much like a high school class period. Each class lasts 55 minutes and we have a 5 minute break to move on to the next classroom with the next teacher.  The only difference is that we are the only student in the class and the only subject is Chinese.

We began studying almost 6 weeks ago and we have both started picking up on certain words we overhear frequently.  Oddly enough, the first two sentences I learned to say were "I want to eat a sandwich" and "I am Japanese."  The first being mildly useful, the second not so much.

Jeff nor I have EVER been coffee drinkers. We have been married almost 9 years and in that time we have never owned a coffee pot.  However, three hours of mind-numbing repetition drills can cause your brain to fog over.  So, out of sheer necessity we have resorted to stopping at 7-11 next door to our school and getting a cappucinno with two sugars, please.  The 7-11 coffee machine is not the do-it-yourself variety.  No, it is a very complicated machine of the starbucks variety and you must place your order with the staff at the checkout counter.

The biggest accomplishment by far of our language school experience is the fact that we can now order our coffee in Chinese.  So, this is your second language lesson. 

How To Order Two Medium Cappuccinnos with Two Sugars each

"Qing ni gei wo Liang Bei Cappucinno, Zhong Be. Dou You Liang Bao Tang. Xie Xie"

Literal Translation:
Please you give me two cups cappucinno, medium size. Both have two packs sugar. Thank you.

I urge you to try that phrase out next time you're in Starbucks.  ;)