Xi'an Mosque Inscription (Photo: John Emigh)
书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟。
(There is no royal road to learning.)
— Chinese proverb
One of the great things about learning Chinese in Beirut is that much of the vocabulary we learn is directly related to the Middle East. For example, one of the most popular Chinese words in our class (my own personal favorite) is the word for Arabic: 阿拉伯语 (Ālābóyǔ). Maybe I’m biased, but it’s just so fun to say. Give it a try: A-laa-boy-yuu.
