Pingshu - 评书

I've decided that it is important to work on my Chinese. This has most formally taken the form of a Chinese class. It's alright, but since this semester is going to be killer with a couple grad classes and loads of interviews every week, I'm apprehensive about the regularity of coursework. Ahh...the trials of being a college senior unfamiliar with the concept of schedule and consistency.

觉得自己的中文太差了，需要进步。所以修了一门中文课。课到不是特别难，但这学期实在太忙了。为了找工作还外加许多的面视。这一星期里就有十几次， 我晕。中文课每次都布置作业，虽然加起来不是很多，但不会像别的课一样写完还能喘两天。我实在不习惯这种规律。

My Chinese Professor is more on the poli-sci track than I expected, so there's going to be none of the pretty and cryptic Chinese prose that I can use to impress without actual comprehension. But as much as I love reading politicians' speeches, I felt that i was missing out on some cultural/historical context.

老师是北大的。以前学过法律，教过经济中文。他对社会，政治要比对文学更感兴趣。跟我很像啊。呵呵。虽然这样也挺好的，不过还是有点失望，本来是想多学点漂亮华丽的词语。不过仔细想想，自己的确还没达到那水平呢。不过还是觉得真的会中文，那么对中国文化和历史的了解是不可缺少的。

Purely out of boredom and nostalgia, I was watching Guo Degang's  Xiangsheng, and I had a sudden craving for Pingshu. To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about it, other than I love listening to stories.

When I was much younger, my oldest uncle (Da Ye) would watch Pingshu on TV...I guess they had special channels devoted for it. At the time, I thought it was really boring: old men dressed up in long gowns doing nothing but talk about things I didn't understand. What I loved though was the gravel, that they would slam down on the table and make a sharp little "paat" sound. What an incredibly satisfying sound.

前两天，巧性看郭德钢的相声。突然特别想听听评书。其实对评书不是很懂，但记得小时候在大爷 （就是我大舅）家经常陪大爷看。那时觉得特别无畏：不过是穿着长袍的老头子讲一些我一点也不懂的往事。不过我很喜欢他们用的那个小木头块儿 （不知道到底叫什么）。小木头块儿往下拍时会有很响亮，又很清脆的 ”啪“ 一声。真的是很过隐的声音。

Later, I gained more of an appreciation for Pingshu after watching 燕子李三 (yan zi li san).
There is a character, an old Pingshu Master, who is doggedly stubborn. He uses his stories as social commentary, and can't be shut up regardless of persecution.

后来看电视连续剧”燕子李三“时，特别欣赏里面的评书先生。他的固执非常可爱，他诉说的故事又是那么的壮观，可他自己的生命却是凄惨的。他用他的故事作为反抗腐败政府的武器。不管受不受欺压，或者有没有听众，他都会不管不顾的说他的书。

In grade school, I tried being a Pingshu Master. I borrowed a chalkboard erasor as a gravel. Unfortunately, I couldn't make the same sound that I had heard in my head, and instead got a lungful of chalkdust.

小学时曾试过当个评书大师。借用老师擦黑板用的泡沫块儿拼命的往桌上敲。不幸的是不管我怎么用力的敲，都敲不出脑子里听到的那声音。反而，吸进一鼻的粉末。

Most recently, I got a hold of about 10 Gigs of Pingshu recordings. I figured it's something that I can listen to in the background that wouldn't distract me away from homework like reading material or video clips would.

就最近，下载了10 个G 的评书录音。有水浒，有三国，还有岳飞等等。原本想着可以象音乐一样一边听一边做功课干活，不会想小说或是电影一样偷击我的时间。

...oh how wrong I was. Unlike music, it's not something that you can listen to without commitment.

。。。可我大错特错了。听故事并不象音乐那样，却更象听课一样，却需要投入的去听。要不然，一晃神儿，就完全错过重要情节了。

Ah well, we'll see how much time I have.

没办法，看我这学期有多少时间吧。

In other news, I'm totally addicted to the k-drama "Queen Seondeuk".

除此之外，最近迷上了韩剧 “善徳女王”。一个周末就看了32集。还好现在每星期只出一两集，要不然时间全都浪费在上面了。