Nansen said: “I’ll make you some tea.” This means that tone is very important when learning Chinese. Then the teacher said: “Stop! What are you doing? This cup doesn’t hold any more tea, not a drop. Also try karaoke. Don’t let the shame of your mistakes and your froggy voice stop you from having a fun evening with a small group of friends at the local Chinese karaoke. Teacher prepared: what to ask, how to ask, and where to start. My favorite way to learn a language and, by extension, culture, is to immerse yourself in the country of origin of the language. If you feel the urge to learn Chinese from scratch, let your heart feel it, accept it, and do it. Are you a contextual learner who learns from courses, textbooks, and teachers? Perhaps a Chinese course at a nearby university would be a good option.