Getting Past Barriers

I came across some interesting news online about a growing social phenomenon called the hikikomori in Japan. The hikikomori are characterized as locking themselves in their room for six months or longer and having no social life. They usually feel depressed and cannot handle the pressures of society, which lead them to this state. Most are young men and usually live with their parents having little or no social interaction with family members. The length of time some have shut themselves out of society can range from a year to over a decade.

In other news, a school in the UK has made it mandatory for students to learn Mandarin Chinese. The article goes in depth on the degree of difficulty it is to learn Chinese. Here is an interesting snippet that explains the four and a half tones that exist in Mandarin:

Tone one - A fairly high, even tone
Tone two - A rising tone, much like the sound at the end of a sentence with a question mark
Tone three - Falls then rises. Like the second, but must dip first
Tone Four - Sharp falling tone, a little like how the end of a sentence with an exclamation mark sounds
Half tone - Pronounce words with light tones in about half the time you would a normal word, without putting emphasis on it
-BBC News online

I didn't know there were 4 1/2 tones in Mandarin! I studied Chinese for two years and was taught that there were only four. Anyhow I liked how the tones were described. I wish Chinese was mandatory when I was in school.