VIP Class Notes (Nick)

Try to read some of this page about what going to Burning Man is like:
https://burningman.org/event/preparation/first-timers-guide/
This is a page telling you what to expect if it is your first time going to Burning Man (第一次参加指南, I think)

Either write something about what you learned, or be ready to do a speaking about what you learned.

Vocabulary

Count – to see how many of something you have 计数; how many of something you have 数量
e.g. I counted six apples on the table.
e.g. The count is six; we have six apples.

Live Stream / Video Call – when video is coming to you as it happens, probably for anyone to watch; when just one or a few people are called using video
e.g. One of my favorite actors had a live stream where fans could ask questions.
e.g. My boyfriend video called me so that I could see what was happening at Dragon Burn.

Go crazy / Lose your mind – to not know what you are doing, to do things that you usually would not do
e.g. At Dragon Burn, the people took drugs and went crazy.

Chaos – when everything is crazy, when there is no order 混乱
e.g. The Dragon Burn Festival was absolute chaos.

Province – 省
Hometown – the city, town, village, that you are from
e.g. My home province is Hainan.
e.g. My hometown is Chicago.

Portland – a city in the northwestern United States 波特兰市
Poland – a country in Eastern Europe 波兰

活动 – Event or Activity – an “event” is a group thing; an “activity” is usually just something that you do, usually for one person unless you say “group even”
e.g. Our company had an event in Kiev that I attended.
e.g. My favorite free-time activity is painting.

参加 – Join or Attend – “join” is to become part of a group; “attend” is to go to some event
— If I “join” then I am part of making the event happen, but if I “attend” then I am only watching
e.g. I joined a basketball group (I go with them to play)
e.g. I attended a basketball game (I just went to watch)

Advertisement (Ad) – when you write something or make a short video to try to sell something
e.g. The Dragon Burn Festival WeChat group was just full of ads!

Complicated – hard to understand

Residence Permit – 居住证

Grammar

Everything is mess – a mess / messy
— Noun + is + adjective
— Noun + is + a noun
e.g. The car is red OR the car is a Ford
e.g. The man is tall OR the man is a lawyer

I know how about the Dragon Burn Festival – I know all about the Dragon Burn Festival / everything that happened at

Less art installation – Fewer art installations
— “Less” is uncountable; “fewer” is countable
e.g. I have less water than you.
e.g. I have fewer bottles of water than you.

Don’t care the public WeChat account – don’t care about

One hour in the day week – I work one hour per day
— number + time period + per + larger time period
e.g. six times per week
e.g. three days per week
e.g. four weeks per year

What’s mean – what does that mean?
— “Mean” is a verb; “meaning” is a noun

Pronunciation

He taught me – told

Cap vs. Cup – 盖子 vs. 杯子
— “a” like in “apple” vs. “uh” like in “rug”
— The “u” sound is what happens if you totally relax your mouth and then make a sound)
— The “a” sound is what happens when you keep your tongue low and wide

Portland vs. Poland – (don’t forget the “rt” in “port”)

Kiev (capital city of Ukraine) – key – ev

Invite – careful to distinguish “v” and “w”