I, for reasons best know to my mad self, have take it upon myself to learn Mandarin. Little did I know that this language was specifically designed to exclude me. I know a labour under rather unfounded notion that I can learn any language. I suppose the fact that I am bilingual and the fact that over the year I have spoken. to some degrees, up 3 languages at once at any one time. English, Yoruba, French, Spanish, Kiswahili and now making a concerted effort to learn Mandarin. But I feel the Chinese have anticipated this and there designed the language to thwart any of my efforts to get to grips with the tongue twisting nuances of the Chinese language.
Not only does one one to deal with a language that in the written form is pictograms and ideograms but also tonal in the spoken. I shall not be beaten though. I like a challenge!
I have posted a few pics from my trip up north to Leeds last weekend. I spent many memorably years in Leeds but I had not been back there for many years. The places was bustling and all the banks and building societies seems to have morphed in to bars. Leeds is a great place to hang out. Not sure if 'd ever move back there though.