While some may think the hardest part to learning Chinese is the memorization of characters, I beg to differ. I believe the most challenging aspect of the Chinese language is its inherent culture. I don't mean Chinese customs or traditions, per se, I mean the culture of the language itself. There are certain connotations, intonations, and habitual applications that are difficult to teach and often harder to discern, especially if approached from a Western lens. This..."phenomenon" isn't particularly unique to the Chinese language, but it is definitely of a rare breed. It isn't necessarily something that can be taught, rather, it is something that I think is more easily understood by feeling, and stumbling through experiences. It's a bit difficult for me to find the words to describe my thoughts at the moment...but perhaps I'll come across them and expound as time passes...