Largest human migration is happening right now. Also known as Chunyun, it refers to extremly heavy traffic load in China due to mass migration of people before, during and after Chinese New Year.

In Chinese culture, it is very important to be with family and have a new year eve dinner on this most important festival. So people who work/study away from their family travel in large scale around China and other countries with Chinese population. With recent economic boom in China, it is getting larger as more and more people move to special economic zones and large eastern cities for work and study.

Last year, an estimated 2 billion (double the total population of China) traveled during this period. This year it is estimated to be same or larger number.

Chunyun has begun already, so tourists beware and avoid China. Transportation will be chaotic at best, unavailable at worst.

Weird as it is but I have lived in Hong Kong for 7 years now and have not managed to learn more than a few words of Cantonese or Mandarin. My life went on pretty well with English, both at work and outside, and I did not really feel a need to learn any Chinese. But now after 7 years, I suddenly have developed strong interest in Mandarin, which incidentally is not spoken in Hong Kong but in mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and other places.

After doing a research for my learning options, I have decided to go for self-study with audio podcasts and related online material from ChinesePod.com as my primary source for Mandarin. I have also purchased Smartphone edition of English-Chinese dictionary from Lingvosoft� as reference. ChinesePod has distinct teaching format than others online courses� I have looked at. It really engages you and� I am so far happy with their lessons.

Lingvosoft dictionary is helpful� if you have some grasp on the language� but it is not good for beginners. For example it gives you multiple Chinese translations for an English word without explaining the different situations in which those words should be used. Even worst is the fact that most common Chinese words for an action (i.e. “can”, “speak”) are ofen listed last in those translations. I often get confused which word should I use, so external help is always needed.

So far learning is going pretty well and I am enjoying it as well.