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Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course is not enough. They show you the characters, words and grammar you need to become proficient in Chinese, but they don't teach you how to learn them! Regardless of what program you're in (if any), you need to take responsibility for your own learning. If you don't, you will miss many important things that aren't included in the course you're taking. If you study on your own, you need to be even more aware of what you need to do, what you're doing at the moment and the difference between them. Here are some of the questions I have asked and have since been asked many times by students: How do I learn characters efficiently? How do I get the most out of my course or teacher? Which are the best learning tools and resources? How can I become fluent in Mandarin? How can I improve my pronunciation? How do I learn successfully on my own? How can I motivate myself to study more? How can I fit learning Chinese into a busy schedule? The answers I've found to these questions and many others form the core of this book. It took eight years of learning, researching, teaching and writing to figure these things out. Not everybody has the time to do that! I can't go back in time and help myself learn in a better way, but I can help you! This book is meant for normal students and independent language learners alike. While it covers all major areas of learning, you won't learn Chinese just by reading this book. It's like when someone on TV teaches you how to cook: you won't get to eat the delicious dish just by watching the program; you have to do the cooking yourself. That's true for this book as well. When you apply what you learn, it will boost your learning, making every hour you spend count for more, but you still have to do the learning yourself. This is what a few readers have said about the book: "The book had me nodding at a heap of things I'd learnt the hard way, wishing I knew them when I started, as well as highlighting areas that I'm currently missing in my study." - Geoff van der Meer, VP engineering "This publication is like a bible for anyone serious about Chinese proficiency. It's easy for anyone to read and written with scientific precision." - Zachary Danz, foreign teacher, children's theatre artist About me I started learning Chinese when I was 23 (that's more than eight years ago now) and have since studied in many different situations, including serious immersion programs abroad, high-intensity programs in Sweden, online courses, as well as on the side while working or studying other things. I have also successfully used my Chinese in a graduate program for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught entirely in Chinese mostly for native speakers (the Graduate Institute for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University). All these parts have contributed to my website, Hacking Chinese, where I write regularly about how to learn Mandarin.

Life is a balancing act. Finding the right balance is a constant challenge. Technologies continue to innovate the way food is grown, harvested, processed and consumed. A wide array of food products is now available to the urban masses. Given our busy lives, how many of us have taken the time to pause and ponder about what we are eating? Have we prospered from the large variety of ultra-processed foods that is easily available? Furthermore, we are constantly connected to our digital devices. How often do we pay attention to our physical activities and exercise regimes? Have we pondered about our fixation on instant gratification and miracle cures? Myrita2 is a space to pause, ponder and prosper about how to improve one’s health. This booklet is a collection of sixteen recipes, using primarily fresh fruits and vegetables, to boost your immune system. These fruits and vegetables are natural remedies that are commonly available at most of our grocery stores. The kitchen is potentially a fun and fantastic laboratory for you to cook up different combinations of fresh ingredients, for yourself and your loved ones. The emphasis is on rainbow diet and clean eating to boost your immunity system. Additionally, Myrita2 equips her readers with tips and toolkits on food hygiene, food journal, hydration, physical activity, etc. This handy guide is meant to help the self-directed earthling become a healthier version of yourself. As the sage Plato once extolled, “Knowledge is the food of the soul.” You are invited to take a seat, quieten your mind with a cup of freshly brewed tea, and dip into the pages of Myrita2. Enjoy the gift of food and find your pearls of wisdom. Afterall, health is wealth.

"DeFrancis's book is first rate. It entertains. It teaches. It demystifies. It counteracts popular ignorance as well as sophisticated (cocktail party) ignorance. Who could ask for anything more? There is no other book like it. ... It is one of a kind, a first, and I would not only buy it but I would recommend it to friends and colleagues, many of whom are visiting China now and are adding 'two-week-expert' ignorance to the two kinds that existed before. This is a book for everyone." --Joshua A. Fishman, research professor of social sciences, Yeshiva University, New York "Professor De Francis has produced a work of great effectiveness that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It is at once instructive and entertaining. While being delighted by the flair of his novel approach, the reader will also be led to ponder on some of the most fundamental problems concerning the relations between written languages and spoken languages. Specifically, he will be served a variety of information on the languages of East Asia, not as dry pedantic facts, but as appealing tidbits that whet the intellectual appetite. The expert will find much to reflect on in this book, for Professor DeFrancis takes nothing for granted." --William S.Y. Wang, professor of linguistics, University of California at Berkeley

Unique two methods: i) 3D (multi-romanized); ii) Cantonese tonal English Dictionary; i) This method helps for multi-users speakers find the best unexpected easy pronunciation; go through multiple three romanized systems such as Yale /Jyutping and plain Roman; this method bring out self accurate right pronounce based on 6 tones. ii) Words are listed in alphabetically tones order. Both speakers easily self access well, even who have nothing either English or Cantonese, for lookup to English words and phrases via Cantonese tones, and Users self-able to comparative analysis with 6 tones, and it’s funny and so easy!!!; it makes 25 to 125 times faster.

'Niki Segnit is definitely the reigning champion of matching ingredients' - YOTAM OTTOLENGHI 'Will inspire a new generation of home cooks, chefs and writers alike' - RUKMINI IYER _______________ The hugely anticipated follow-up to Niki Segnit's landmark global bestseller The Flavour Thesaurus In More Flavours, Niki Segnit applies her ground-breaking approach to explore 92 mostly plant-based flavours, from Kale to Cashew, Pomegranate to Pistachio. There are over 800 witty and erudite entries combining recipes, tasting notes and stories to bring each ingredient to life. Together with Niki Segnit's first book, The Flavour Thesaurus, this is a modern classic of food writing and as much a bedside read as an indispensable kitchen resource. _______________ 'This gorgeous, erudite, learned book puts you in a state of permanent hunger' - ZOE WILLIAMS 'A must-have for food writers and chefs everywhere' - GEORGINA HAYDEN