Devoid of Anything Useful

Well, it seems like a nightmare learning chinese now for some people, but i have a pretty good explanation why.

We are too damn old. Yup. Old. 12 is middle aged already.

For non-Singaporeans (of which i suspect there are none reading this), I am sorry but you just have to be slightly envious.

First, let me come up with a few talking points. Refer to here, here and here.

That is one nice guy. His rants are awesome and i suggest you look beyond these 3 posts.

Now, what I want to highlight. See how much difficulty they have with syntax and grammar? Indeed I would agree that unlike English, we didn't have much grammar based testing.
For people who have been listening to it for long, it would make perfect sense. It would be the same for any language. Get immersed in it from young, you will be zai.

Even for such a chinese noob like me, Joel or Edward, I think we still face less problems actually facing syntax oddities or errors. They can't take an oddity without struggling first. We did, but it was during the first learning years.

That is why NAND, diodes, TX stick movement, the 60+ digits of pi and the slip-knot for yoyo never really left me although i did not touch it again until recently. Cubing was rather recent. I would really like to see my speeds after many weeks of not practising. And i can't seem to take any more PLLs in. Point? Start learning everything you had wanted to learn from young. Fat lot of good, especially for those old enough to even read what is here. Anything learnt after secondary school isn't really going to be as permanent as bike riding.

nvm. no one understands anyway.

[EDIT] kk. One full explanation. from http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Chinese/grammarlist.htm

Use of the 正 在 V 着 O 呢 zhènzài V zhe O ne sentence pattern

This sentence pattern indicates that an action is under way. Note that some of the elements of this pattern can be omitted: all the following sentences mean he is watching TV. [But with slightly different highlight or connotations!]
1. 他正在看着电视呢 tā zhèngzài kànzhe diànshì ne full version
He is now looking at the TV leh (sorry couldn't find a better replacement)
2. 他正看着电视呢 tā zhèng kànzhe diànshì ne without 在 zài
He's now looking at the TV leh (the 在 is techincally part of 正在)
3. 他在看着电视呢 tā zài kànzhe diànshì ne without 正 zhèng
He is looking at the TV leh
4. 他正在看电视呢 tā zhèngzài kàn diànshì ne without 着 zhe
He is now watching TV leh (notice 看 and 看着 are rather different)
5. 他正在看着电视 tā zhèngzài kànzhe diànshì without 呢 ne
He is now watching TV
6. 他在看电视呢 tā zài kàn diànshì ne without 正 zhèng and 着 zhe
He is watching TV leh
7. 他看电视呢 tā kàn diànshì ne without 正 zhèng , 在 zài and 着 zhe
He watch TV leh (yes, this sentence is not really used around here.)