... and Google translate!
For my upcoming trip to China on July 18th and as a responsible human Being I decided to learn some basic Mandarin beforehand.
After using an app called "Hello Chinese" I am already able to say phrases like "I am a guy" and "My family consist of 6 people." With that knowledge I should get around pretty well!
Yet well is not enough and as I am lacking real mandarin interaction I reached out to the best way to meet new people. Tinder! Chinese Tinder to be precise. TanTan.
Perks of TanTan
- no FB required
- 99% percent Chinese people
- interactive conversation
- swipe
Here's how my first proper conversation went:
Me: "I like bread."
Tany: "Oh, you speak Mandarin?"
Me: "Little, little." "-10°C"
Tany: "Where are you from?"
Me: "I am a German."
Me: "Where are you from?" (See: I learned a new question and copy-pasted)
Tany: "Finland"
The conversation goes on in this style. My lesson for you: if you're heading to China and want some real life interaction beforehand to practice your mandarin, get TanTan and Google translate.
PS. Tany likes bread too!