I Studied Mandarin for 500+ Hours. What I Wish I Knew Sooner

Embracing the imperfections of a language journey

Reconstructing the bright pink flower-lined highways I saw in Guangzhou, China, using AI prompts. Lost my 2017 phone pictures, but the result captures the effect quite well.

I visited China once in 2017, having taken the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Beijing, and another train from Beijing to Hong Kong. Then I stayed in Guangzhou for 2 months, trying to find the right factories to design my product (an air-conditioned camping tent). My product fizzled out into nothing due to logistical and cost limitations. But this trip of a lifetime left me with a strong impression of China.

Even though my purpose was to make connections with factories, I get especially nostalgic for all the in-between moments of slow travel. All those 2 AM walks to the convenience store underneath a pink glowing sky, passing all the late-night restaurants and their shopkeepers sweeping the sidewalk. Then coming back with a pack of vanilla wafers and practicing piano.

“Giving a speech” (not actually) at the Canton Fair (the world’s largest trade show). Photo by the author.

I also enjoyed solving “foreigner” problems, such as finding where to do laundry. After spending an entire day asking hotel reception for a laundromat and trying various dry cleaners, I ended up taking my laundry on a 90-minute train to Hong Kong. Taking a roundtrip train…