“Why Mandarin?” is often the response I am asked when I share about my recent endeavors. I had to think about the answer even though I’ve known for years that I was going to learn it. My childhood experiences and love of China today led me to embrace this transparent and logical language. I was fortunate to have a grandmother who took me everywhere with her and one particular day it was downtown Los Angeles. We walked into a store and I noticed a Chinese lady on the phone speaking in her native tongue while simultaneously requesting that my grandmother and I come in and look among the parcels of goods that had just arrived. She also requested that one of the workers to “llevar a cabo cosas” and she did it so swimmingly it blew my 8 year old mind. Then there were the times as a youngster playing outside; I would say “I’m digging a hole to China” and my friends and I would joke with each other by pulling the skin around our eyes and say “mommy mommy my braids are too tight” which disguised our lame attempt at making fun of the hooded lid. Today it’s the very reason why I love Ellen Barkin, Annette O’Toole, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger (1.0 version). I am fascinated with China’s steep history on so many levels. Forget the Guttenberg press it was really Diamond Sutra. And the fruits that I enjoy all year round…yep China has dibs. But the real reason why I chosen this language is so that I may return to China one day and live there which is a dream of mine.
– Adrianna from Girl About The Country
