Hello and 你好! I'm Linda.
I’m a novelty seeking, story loving, Chinese food obsessed CN-American gal. I was born in China (Chengdu to be purrcise), raised in Georgia, and currently live in NYC.
I’ve also been trying to “get better” at Chinese for the better part of a decade.
Even though my parents spoke Chinese to me at home, I could only read a handful of characters (一，二，三，个 ...etc) by the time college rolled around. By then, I’d finally gotten over my aversion to Chinese school, and immediately signed up for my first official Chinese course.
After several semesters of intensive classes (and more than a few sleepless nights), the prospect of being able to read Chinese — which before seemed like an unattainable dream — seemed within reach!
In the years since since graduating, however, I hit a plateau.
PRO TIP: When stuck…eat ramen. It won’t help you get unstuck, but it’ll make you feel better!
Without the time and structure offered by college courses (and exam deadlines), I was constantly frustrated (ashamed, really) by my lack of progress (or worse, regression). Maybe I just didn’t have “it”: the self discipline, the gift for language, the time...
I started drawing Panda Cub Stories because I wanted learning Chinese to be a joy — instead of a chore.
I always remembered things better if I doodled them down. A year later, these Chinese character doodles (and this little fuzzy panda cub) have brought joy, giggles, and learning to not just me — but thousands of readers on the Panda Cub Stories Instagram!
I’m so incredibly grateful to be able to share my language learning journey with all of you.
欢迎 aboard ❤️
Linda and Panda