Q: Mandarin is spoken the most in mainland China so it may be a good option if you are planning a trip to China or want to be able to speak to mainlanders. Cantonese is spoken more in North America so it may be ideal if you want to communicate with Chinese people in Canada or the United States.  Mandarin is also often used in business transactions between China and North America so if you plan to do business with Chinese companies, it may be more practical for you to learn. There are many other dialects of Chinese but Mandarin and Cantonese are the two most commonly spoken. Chinese is a tonal language, which means it uses pronunciation to create meaning. The same word, said in a different tone, can mean something else. Learning the tones is best done by listening to how they sound and repeating the tones as much as you can. Making mistakes where you say a word with the wrong tone is common, and part of the learning process. You will need to practice and master the tones to speak Mandarin properly. Mandarin has 4 tones:  Tone 1: Level Tone 2: Rising Tone 3: Departing Tone 4: Entering/stop-final Cantonese is a bit more complicated when it comes to tones, as it has 2 more than Mandarin. You will need to adjust the pitch of your voice to match the correct tone so you are speaking Cantonese properly. The tones in Cantonese are:  Tone 1: High Tone 2: Rising Tone 3: Mid Tone 4: Low-mid to low Tone 5: Low to low-mid Tone 6: Low-mid ” Start with basic conversational Chinese so you can get familiar with the language. Look up the Mandarin or Cantonese words for greetings like “hello” or “welcome.” Make sure you know how to say “thank you,” “goodbye,” and “how are you?”  For example, in Mandarin, the word for “hello” is “ni hao” for a casual conversation and “nin hao” for a formal conversation, such as with a boss or business associate. In Cantonese, “hello” is “Neih hou.” Rather than try to learn vocabulary or a long list of terms, try to learn basic nouns and verbs instead. Nouns like “I,” “we,” “she,” “he,” and “they” are good building blocks for simple sentences. Verbs like “go,” “walk,” “run,” “visit,” and “meet” will be useful in many conversations and help you speak full sentences in Chinese quickly.  For example, you may learn a simple sentence like “I visit Beijing” by learning how to say “I” “visit” and “Beijing” and putting the words together to form the sentence. Start by learning to put together sentences that are 3-4 words long. Over time, you can add on words to learn longer sentences. Start by learning how to count from 1-50 in Mandarin or Cantonese. Listen to the pronunciation of the numbers using an audiobook or an audio tool. Note how to write each number using Chinese characters and Pinyin. Once you master 1-50, challenge yourself to learn 50-100 and beyond.  You can find a list of numbers in Mandarin on Omniglot.com: https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/chinese.htm. You can find a list of numbers in Cantonese on Omniglot.com: https://www.omniglot.com/language/numbers/cantonese.htm. Pinyin is a system devised to write Chinese characters using phonetic spelling. It can be a helpful way to learn how to write in Chinese without having to study the thousands of characters in the language. The Pinyin for words will be based on the tones in the word. You will need to study the tones and Pinyin at the same time. You can write in pinyin on your computer by adjusting the settings on your Mac or PC. Typing Pinyin to others can help you become more familiar with the system. Simplified characters were designed to make writing Chinese more accessible. These characters require fewer strokes and are usually easier to learn than traditional characters. Start by studying simplified characters that are only 1-2 strokes. Then, learn more complicated terms that have 3-4 strokes. Get a book on simplified Chinese characters and start with the 1-2 stroke ones. Practice writing them and memorize the word or phrase they represent. Then, attempt more complicated characters once you have gotten the hang of basic ones.
A: Decide if you are going to learn Cantonese or Mandarin. Study the 4 tones in Mandarin. Learn the 6 tones in Cantonese. Practice basic phrases like “hello,” “thank you,” and “goodbye. Focus on learning nouns and verbs. Learn how to count in Chinese. Practice writing in Pinyin. Learn simplified Chinese characters.

Q: Pour cool water into a clean pot, tub, or container large enough to completely hold and cover your turkey. For this method, the shape of the container doesn't matter. The water must be no warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.44 degrees Celsius) to avoid bacterial growth. Place resealable plastic bags of ice into the container to keep the water temperature cool, if necessary. While still in its packaging, place the turkey breast-side down in the water. The turkey must be completely submerged in the water.  If the turkey is not in its original packaging, place the turkey in a sealed, leak-proof plastic bag. This will help prevent cross-contamination.  Use a heavy baking dish or other clean, heavy item to weigh the bird down so it stays fully submerged in the water. After 30 minutes have passed remove the turkey and set it aside. Try not to drip everywhere. Even if the turkey was sealed, some of the water may be contaminated with bacteria. Pour all of the water out, and then replace the water with fresh, cold water. Be sure that it remains under 40 degrees, and add new ice if necessary. Place the turkey back into the water, and let sit for another 30 minutes. This method will defrost your turkey at a rate of about 30 minutes per pound. For example, if your turkey weighs 12 pounds, you must allow the turkey to thaw using this method for approximately six hours.
A:
Fill your container. Submerge your turkey. Remove the turkey after half an hour. Discard and replace the water. Repeat the process. Repeat continually, as necessary.