OFFICIAL thread - MK visit to China as US Envoy!

[attyfan]

According to this post from FSU, the United States new envoy will be giving a speech at a university in Hong Kong in two weeks time:

http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46170

[billob]

I can't seem to make peace with FSU

Can we please get a transcript?

[CAROLB]

By the time Michelle gets out of school, she will be a real pro at giving speeches and lectures. This is such great experience for her. She will and has so much more opportunity than any of her classmates.

Good for Michelle. I just know they will love her in Hong Kong as much as we do here in the states.

[shirleyprice1]

I never had a problem getting there until today. can't seem to get signed on anymore.

[Kabooke]

True. It's why MK said in that recent article
that she'd not be able to watch nationals.

[joseph2004]

And she will also be at Hong Kong Disneyland...

[weinilourson]

I live in HK!
I'm also a student of HKU!

This registration procedure is taking FOREVER at FSU!!!
ARGH!

I *must* get to know the details...

The problem is that I have a day job (I study part-time at HKU), so if it's during the day, I won't be able to attend! That's terrible!

And yes, WE LOVE YOU MICHELLE! You're loved globally!

[Katty52]

All the post says is that Michelle will be giving a speech at the University of Hong Kong as U.S. Cultural Envoy in two weeks' time, as part of a 'Lecture Series for Youth Leaders'. There will be a question and answer session as well.

Then the rest of the thread goes on to talk about if she will be talking in English or Cantonese or if there will be a translator on hand.

[gatzbee]

wow i'd love to hear her speak cantonese!

[Lucy]

This new article has a bit of information;
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/di...ennoCcM0.86961

Quote:

Hughes said the State Department also is promoting "Sports Diplomacy." In coming days, she will travel to Asia with champion ice skater Michelle Kwan, who will talk about U.S. values and engage young people in dialogue in China, the under secretary said.

[RA5CViggie]

Originally Posted by Lucy

who will talk about U.S. values and engage young people in dialogue in China

I wonder what kind of "values" and what kind of "dialogue" they will be talking about?

[billob]

Katty52

Is Michelle good enough at speaking Cantonese that they were able to say no to the translator?

I am Still having no luck getting into fsu

Hopefully someone will post a transcript or Heather will post it on her site.

[iceskaterdawn]

In the Weekly Reader article that I mentioned in a different thread, it talked about her going overseas to Hong Kong and China and that she will speak with students over there. The article said that a lot of kids over there don't have positive images of America, so Michelle is going to speak to them about America and to help give them a better idea of what this country is really like.

[clara]

Michelle does not need to speak Cantonese.Most of the HKU students would know english.

[porkpuff]

Hey, didn't Michelle come to HK a couple of years back? I thought the first post she did for MKF was a result of that visit?

[Lisa Seye]

Here is the post from MK


http://www.mkforum.net/forum/showthr...1869#post51869

[gatzbee]

i thought i remember reading that kwan's cantonese is without much issue, it's mainly Mandarin thats a problem, which is y she prolly could not communicate with the Chinese president at the white house luncheon, b/c Mainland China is primarily Mandarin speaking, of course with some different dialects, but Cantonese is like a whole other world in my opinion. i grew up learning mandarin and maybe can understand a few words that come up in convo in cantonese, but the 2 just aren't like. anyhow i digress... and yes she can speak english too, but i wonder if for like some press thing she might utter some words of cantonese i'd really love to hear her speak another language

[iceman]

We're also recruiting and deploying special American public diplomacy envoys. And if you have ideas for those, I would welcome them. Our first is world champion skater Michelle Kwan, who will be traveling with me to China. And I imagine if it's true to form, the young people there will be a lot more interested in hearing from her than they will this middle-aged woman. And so we're expanding those type of programs so that we can tap into the creativity and talent of America to send it out across the world and speak on our behalf.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0701/S00104.htm

[mkfanfl]

That is so cool. I cant wait to read an article about Michelles trip w/ Ms. Hughes.

[scootie12]

very cool to see that!

LOL....I must be tired because I thought the title said Karen KWAN, and then I realized that it said Karen Hughes....I was thinking since when does Karen Kwan now get involved in diplomacy with her sister? LOL LOL

[taytay165]

^^HAHA!! Scootie, I thought the same thing when I looked at it! lol. Wow...we must really be Kwan-starved. Now I'm seeing *Kwan* when it's not even there!

[Scoobert Dieu]

I too thought I saw the same thing. Everything's Kwan.

[witchykitty]

Awesome! I can't wait to hear about it. Thanks for posting, iceman.

[clara]

Originally Posted by gatzbee

i thought i remember reading that kwan's cantonese is without much issue, it's mainly Mandarin thats a problem, which is y she prolly could not communicate with the Chinese president at the white house luncheon, b/c Mainland China is primarily Mandarin speaking, of course with some different dialects, but Cantonese is like a whole other world in my opinion. i grew up learning mandarin and maybe can understand a few words that come up in convo in cantonese, but the 2 just aren't like. anyhow i digress... and yes she can speak english too, but i wonder if for like some press thing she might utter some words of cantonese i'd really love to hear her speak another language

Mainland china is not primarily mandrin speaking.Although most cities will understand mandrin(pu tong hua)as it is chiana's official language,many still can not speak mandrin.

And yes mandrin is totaly different from cantonese

[Mathman]

Here is another announcement of the trip: Under Secretary Hughes and American Public Diplomacy Envoy Michelle Kwan To Visit China

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/78666.htm