Talking China

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More About

• Shanghai
• Jay Xu
• Chinese Language
• Visual Arts

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Dr. Jay Xu, the director of the Asian Art Museum, is the guest of honor at the Mandarin Language Reception. He's set to preview an upcoming exhibit on the city of Shanghai and the "Shanghai Celebration," which highlights the connections between there and here. Hopefully, he'll crack some jokes about how the gold rush-era practice of kidnapping drunks and forcing them into slavery at sea got named after the largest city in China. The thing is, if he does, English-only speakers won't understand them, since as the name suggests, the event is conducted in Mandarin Chinese. So dust off your skills, bring a dictionary, and attend the Berlitz workshop beforehand (at 6) if you're a beginner. Otherwise, just prepare to enjoy the talk, the snacks, and chatting with native speakers.
Wed., July 29, 6:30 p.m., 2009