Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Cecilie Gamst Berg's BLONDE LOTUS

Day 15, Film 15

This is a short film about the novel BLONDE LOTUS, which was penned by Cecilie Gamst Berg, one of the most original and interesting people in Hong Kong and a terrific blogger (China Droll). I read this novel and enjoyed it very much. It is heartfelt and gushing with emotion.

This film was shot in Chungking Mansion, where parts of the book take place.
It is my thank-you to Cecilie Gamst Berg for encouraging people in Hong Kong and elsewhere to learn Cantonese. Check out her excellent Cantocourse series on Youtube.

As for my own quest to learn Cantonese, my tones are bad, I talk like a three-year-old, and I often butcher the language, but learning a language, by definition, means making mistakes. And as a student of Cantonese and other languages, I have to say Cantonese is so very beautiful, elegant, and logical. It's without doubt, the most fun language I've ever studied.

Learning Cantonese and chatting with local people in my broken Cantonese has been such a source of joy for me. My life in Hong Kong would be so much duller without this gift.

So, Cecilie. Doje leih. You rock!!





Enjoy!!!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your Canto is impressive for a non-native! What have you been using to learn it?

mao365 said...

Get books from the library, listen to Cecilie's podcast on RTHK, watch her videos, repeat the basic phrases in phrase books, find some local HK person to practice basic conversations. Keep at it. Learning any language requires two things only: time investment and time investment.

My Canto sucks, but I'm working on it. It will get better.

Anonymous said...

which books would you recommend?

I am currently using the Pimsleur Cantonese Chinese Comprehensive course, only problem is i can only find parts 1 of 3 of it on the net...

mao365 said...

Hey,

I've used many books. The ones that helped me most were by Virginia Yip.

http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Cantonese-Workbook-Routledge-Grammars/dp/0415193850

I also use a mini English to Cantonese dictionary:

THE RIGHT WORD IN CANTONESE by Kwan Choi Wah.

Good to hear you're studying the Wah. Stick with it. It's the coolest language in the world.

Cecilie said...

Oh dude~ Mao!
Thank you thank you so much. It's the biggest compliment I've had in - maybe ever!
Great start to my Sunday and week, and year.

Thanks you.
And Gweilo in the mist - weren't you going to take lessons from me?

mao365 said...

Cecilie,

It's my pleasure. You deserve all the recognition you get and more. You make Hong Kong better.

Anonymous said...

That i am Cecilie, Just has soon as i get a job i will have some spare cash.