Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 42-50

Dan Wild

Previous… 42[This stanza has intentionally been left blank] 43He slunk into the bath after high tea,Bringing a wafer wiv ‘im. Today he’d sayGoodbye to innocence, as minstrelsyBeckoned – he hoped he’d be able to stayThe course of his dream, but what could allayThe fear? Failure was no longer an optionTo be contemplated at break of …

Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 31-41

Dan Wild

Previous.. 31Half a day before the gathering stormRose Percy, not Percival of Wagner’sDour overture, based on the French wormOf Tours – these were really snaky nagas,Like an open pack of Lady gagasBought from a small Chinese tobacconistThat sells everything except hate. No ragasWould be played today, nor would F. LizstBe taken out of the stool …

Getting a handle on complex verbs in Mandarin Chinese – by Kurt Vall

Kurt Vall

Kurt Vall is a postgraduate student in International Relations and has completed undergraduate studies in linguistics and Chinese language. Here he presents his thoughts on Mandarin grammar, offering insights into the action-oriented and context-focused aspects of Mandarin grammar that will be thought-provoking to students of Chinese and English alike. The grammatical structure of Mandarin can …