Essays
Can You Just Use Kanji in China? Not Really
If you blank on a Chinese character, can you write the Japanese kanji instead? Mostly no. Here is where they diverge and what to do when you forget.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Syncing GitHub Commits to a Hanzi Habit Tracker
Could you tie your Mandarin writing streak to your GitHub commit graph? You can script it, but the practice still has to be real. Here is how to do it well.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Can You Take HSK 5 Online to Avoid Handwriting?
Want to take HSK 5 on a computer to type instead of handwrite? Yes, the computer-based HSK is typed. Here is the catch, and why handwriting still helps.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Can a Kindle Scribe Grade Your Chinese Handwriting?
A Kindle Scribe is a lovely e-ink notebook, but it captures ink without grading it. It cannot check stroke order or score your characters. For that you need a dedicated practice app.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Showing Parents Real Practice Data, Not Just Time Logged
Want certified analytics of manual tracing time to show parents their child practiced? Time is a weak metric. Here is the data that actually proves progress.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Writing Chinese for Trade and Supply-Chain Work
Sourcing from China means handling forms, contracts, and labels by hand. Here is the trade vocabulary worth being able to write and why a dictionary is not enough.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Essays
Chinese Calligraphy References for Costume Props
Making a wuxia scroll, banner, or talisman prop? Here is which calligraphy script fits which era, where to find references, and how to letter it convincingly.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
How Chinese Character Components Share Space
Balanced characters follow consistent proportion rules: how much space each component takes and where it sits. Here is a practical guide to component spacing.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
A Pastel, Customizable Hanzi Stroke-Tracing App
A calm pastel theme can make Hanzi practice a habit you actually keep. Here is why aesthetics help, what to look for, and where the real learning happens.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Tracing Chinese With High Tremor Forgiveness
If a hand tremor makes character apps frustrating, here is what tremor-forgiving design looks like, and why a calm, tolerant practice tool matters.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
Fluent at Reading Chinese, Frozen When You Write
You read Chinese easily but freeze when asked to write a character. That gap between recognition and recall is normal, and it has a specific fix.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
The Typing-vs-Handwriting Gap in Chinese Teens
Chinese teens type slang fluently but increasingly cannot write by hand. Here is why the digital generation has this typing-handwriting gap, and the fix.
Lawrence Arya··5 min