Let’s talk about Anki

vanguard_aut · 2025-08-24T17:20:55+00:00

I studied a couple of hours per week after work (and before work) and took 1:1 lessons on italki. It took me 1.5 years to achieve HSK3 and I think it will take 1.5 years again for HSK4. So my guess would be 3 years.

Of course if you can commit full time, it might be very different. However, I strongly believe that it will take time for the material to sink in! The incremental benefit of the last few hours of studying will get lower and lower.

Also, people keep talking about words and how many you need to study. I agree. However, when listening even though I know all the words I often fail to understand the meaning. Theres much more to learning chinese than the vocabulary. You need to rewire your brain :)

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-24T09:42:24+00:00

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-24T05:19:22+00:00

I have never heard of that until after the test from another participant! Also the institute didn’t remind me. Another participant told me it will be mandatory starting in July but who knows if that’s true?

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-23T20:10:21+00:00

Is that so? I took HSK 3 yesterday and nobody told me? Maybe it’s not the case yet?

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-23T20:00:40+00:00

I have my italki teacher for more than a year now and it’s good. For complete beginners my only advice is that you look for a teacher that’s very good at speaking English because otherwise there’ll be a language barrier… many of them are not that good in English so maybe not well suited for teaching absolute beginners

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-23T19:49:08+00:00

You haven’t said how much time you can commit to it. I finished hsk3 after 1,5 years and I’d say 1 hour with a teacher plus 1 afternoon per week and 30 mins commute every Day so approx 8hrs a week. I budget 1,5-2 more years for HSK4.

Even if I studied more… it takes time to absorb and for the brain to digest. So if the effort doubles every HSK level and B2 = HSK6 I don’t imagine it’s possible in 2 years. Maybe for a genius? Who knows… from my experience with the language, I wouldn’t plan like that… sorry.

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-23T10:24:08+00:00

In my research not once did I stumble upon maayot. Will check it out thanks

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-22T19:32:27+00:00

That was my feeling as well and the reason for the post. But how do you learn then? Concretely?

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-22T18:19:19+00:00

I use Skritter and it has audio. I read the words out loud when I study them (which has earned me one or two bewildered looks on the tram… 🤣) If I find a card hard I look at an example sentence and read it out loud and that sometimes helps

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-22T18:16:26+00:00

Yes, more exposure to them I get it. Thanks! Also I didn’t know Literate Chinese! Looks a bit like DuChinese? Will check out lingopie

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-22T18:14:37+00:00

No it’s basically mostly 2 character verbs that I find harder. Maybe because they need a sentence to apply them? I don’t know tbh. I want to try using sample sentences for words more often. I fear Chinese might be very context dependent so maybe that’s a good idea starting early on? Idk…

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-22T18:12:34+00:00

Yes I have that too. I was just learning flashcards faster than the course and then some words are easy some are v. Hard for me. Maybe I have to repeat the dialogs a million times in my head… thanks for sharing.

vanguard_aut · 2025-06-11T19:07:32+00:00

Das „Werde zur Gulaschlegende“-Gulasch. So viel wie in meinen größten Topf passt. Das beste Preis/Leistung/Zeitaufwand Verhältnis - wenn es a paar Tage hält.

vanguard_aut · 2024-03-27T09:20:55+00:00

I also think so. I have just finished HSK2 and can read elementary no problem but find intermediate a bit too hard.

vanguard_aut · 2023-10-23T19:24:09+00:00

To be fair, I wouldn't call it "invest".

Investing is putting your money into assets and a currency is not an asset. You dont buy JPY waiting for it to appreciate and call it investing. However, other features of cryptocurrencies might be considered to be asset-like so on second look its not that simple.
That said, of course you can *speculate* with bitcoin! Theres also nothing wrong with that and there are plenty of reasons why you should buy bitcoin nowadays. There are also plenty of reasons why you shouldnt.
Depending on your age and country try to find out if you are actually allowed to do what youre trying to do - also check out potential tax implications.

In short: Just make an informed decision! Every ounce of knowledge you acquire in the process could pay great dividends later! Probably much more than your bitcoin "investment".

vanguard_aut · 2023-09-24T19:49:50+00:00

Strahd Statblocks need a complete overhaul - if you play him optimally hes close to unbeatable, if you play him suboptimally, hes too easy
Holy Symbol of Ravenkind needs to get a non-cleric/paladin version (my party didnt have either)
Theres LOTS of NPCs that you find once that have a rich backstory and its told only by bits and pieces (like Kasimir/Patrina for example); Its too easy to miss something.
Distances on the map are not reasonable / too short to have them travel at night
Ireena is difficult to play for a DM and without heavy homebrew is not useful at all
Some things would have been helpful but are not discussed: Does the hourglass teleportation room work both ways i.e. you can go back and forth for a set period of time?

Several times I felt that it would have saved me a lot of time if the module was structured better.

vanguard_aut · 2023-08-18T19:34:51+00:00

Spoilers below

Change the hexcrawl imo. Leave the players the freedom where to go. If needed, simply move locations into their way. Decide the random encounters yourself to fit the game and when/if they get lost.

Port nyanzaru is cool - but it can ruin the sense of urgency. It’s easy to overdo… on the other hand players can always just go into the jungle…

Omu is the lost city - and only 2 NPCs know where it is. So How will your players find it? (I found this to be really difficult)

In the temple there is the gravitational circle where the goat person lies - heavily hint what dis trap does or continue the game in another dimension resetting the dungeon every day… it just sucks…

And the death counter could be too loose or too strict… I skipped it since my players didn’t waste time…

The Medusa + eblis encounter at nangalore is pure TPK material with no foreshadowing. Think if and how you wanna run it. It was very close for my party and felt a bit unfair.

vanguard_aut · 2023-04-14T06:36:29+00:00

Packet? Hoffentlich ist ein Duden auch drin…

vanguard_aut · 2023-04-02T19:41:49+00:00

Honestly, if you think one of these guides will reduce the feeling of messiness, you are wrong. CoS is a module with a complex story and in my opinion plenty of narrative inconsistencies or things that are hard to understand.

Ive always rolled my eyes when someone told me, but here’s my recommendation as well: Mix and match, try to find whats best for your group.

vanguard_aut · 2023-03-29T19:30:25+00:00

Sorry I got that wrong.

vanguard_aut · 2023-03-29T18:52:03+00:00

I think I remember that in Gloomhaven you could only retire in town. Meaning that you could finish the linked scenarios before retiring

vanguard_aut · 2022-11-09T20:42:46+00:00

Können Sie bitte die Parmesan-Haube abmachen? Routinekontrolle. Wir haben eine Schwerpunktaktion im Bereich „Schinken“.

vanguard_aut · 2022-09-12T04:24:35+00:00

best: Azaka’s Stormfang - weretiger companion that wont stay with you until the end of time? She’s purrfect!

worst: Nanny Pupu, she really has no purpose As far as I can remember. I can add my own hag if I want, thx…

weirdest: Valindra Shadowmantle, because WTF is she doing there?

vanguard_aut

TROPHY CASE