1. Tāng v. Tāngr — because it’s a minimal pair straight from the street. The PBS/YU classic
2. Chinese facts, such as “characters are hard” (as explained by both foreigners and taxi drivers) — because almost everything you hear about the language is a myth.
3. Zhonglish — because so many struggling speakers needed a word to call their own, and this one we’ve managed to backdate to 1963. (More Zhonglish here and here)
4. Bay-Jing / Beizzhing — because it’s evidence that a little knowledge can generate a LOT of righteous smuggery. Get over it, folks! (The followups are here and here.)
8. A chance encounter with a bird trainer — because it was this walk with my friend, and the trainer’s patient persistence, that inspired me to buckle down and become semi-literate.
9. A no-nonsense teacher — because I’m amused by the difference in tenor between what she says and what an American teacher would say.
10. Honest taxi drivers — because there are plenty out there. Sure, it’s a big city with bad eggs. But get your nose out of the stench! The only freedom you have is what you choose to focus on.