Chinese Set Up on Palm Centro (Interesting Feature for Chinese Learners)

In this opportunity, I would like to share my experience with Palm Centro smartphone device. Palm Centro has a very interesting feature, especially for anybody who is studying Chinese language.
I just got my first Palm mobile phone a few weeks ago, i.e. Palm Centro. I try to get accustomed with the astonishing feature on it. Previously I always chose Nokia mobile device, because mostly Nokia device is compatible with Chinese character, reading and writing.
While trying all the Palm Centro feature, I got to know that we can activate the Chinese language on it, either for Simplified Chinese of Traditional Chinese. Only, the main problem is once we activate the Chinese language, all the display menu turns to Chinese. This is a problem for me as my Chinese reading is still poor.
Fortunately, a friend of mine who is an Palm expert told me that we can turn on the Chinese language feature while we can still keep all the display menu in English. Thanks to him, even though he does not understand Chinese but his knowledge of Palm OS is remarkable. Actually he is the one who introduce Palm Centro as well. Based on his advice, I try to find the related setting. Finally I got it.
Once we activate it, the feature is really very interesting. We can read Chinese, write Chinese with Pinyin input method or even with stylus hand writing. Last not least, we can also write Japanese Hiragana and Katakana.

Chinese setting of Palm Centro:

Push HOME button and choose / click Preference (Prefs)



Choose / Click CJK OS (Chinese Japanese Korean Operating Systems)


Check the ENABLE CJKOS


Choose “Chinese GB” or “Chinese GBK” for Simplified Chinese or "Chinese BIG5" for Traditional Chinese setting.


Choose the 2nd TAB (增强), then UNcheck the bottom box (中文化). This is to change the display menu to English


Choose the 3rd TAB (Input), then check the box Enable CJK Keyboard. This is for activating the Chinese input with Pinyin method.


Return to Preference menu, and choose PenP. This is to activate the stylus hand writing input method.


Check the following box: [常用字] activates stylus handwriting for the common Chinese character, [日文字] for Japanese Hiragana/Katakana and [英文字] for the English alphabet.


After finishing above set up, then we can start writing Chinese character with following method:

• Direct handwriting on the monitor

• Using Keyboard with Pinyin entry method. Push Menu and choose Keyboard.

Enjoy your time.....

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My Childhood Experience in Learning Chinese

When I look back to my childhood time in mid of 1970’s, I clearly remember how my mother taught me to learn Chinese (Mandarin). Not so serious, of course, as I was still about 6 years of age at that time.

I still remember some of the rhyme she taught me:

妈妈， 妈妈来。来看弟弟。弟弟哭了。弟弟要妈妈抱。
Mama, Mama lai. Lai kan didi. Didi kule. Didi yao mama bao.
Mommy, Mommy come. Come and see little brother. Little brother is crying. Little brother wants Mommy to hold him.

When I was 7½ years old in early 1976, my mother enrolled me to have a Mandarin course in a church called Ka Im Tong (Jia Yin Tang) - in a small city of Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia. On the first day I entered the Chinese class, I was the youngest pupil in the class. On that day, the class was teaching one Chinese word, Xin 信 (letter). I studied Mandarin three times a week, i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; from 3.00 to 5.00 pm.

During that day, official Chinese school/course was banned in Indonesia due to political matter. All Chinese culture was prohibited in Indonesia from mid of 1960’s until late of 1990’s.

That’s why I had to study Mandarin in a church. The Mandarin course was masked by Christianity teaching in church. Actually my parents were Confucians follower, not Christian.

I studied Mandarin from 1976 until end of 1978. I asked my mother to quit from the Mandarin course. Actually it was fun to study there. I had lots of friends there.

Since then, I never learned Mandarin again until end of year 2002; it’s about 24 years after I stopped my Mandarin course! In Nov 2002, after I got married, I enrolled myself to study Mandarin in an official course with native teachers from China. I learned Mandarin until early 2004, and then I stopped again.
Since late 1999 and early 2000 Chinese courses are not prohibited again in Indonesia. Lots of Chinese teachings are open, in courses and also in public school.

This time I need to study Chinese again (even by self-study), I have to accompany my children to study Mandarin. My children get Mandarin lecture in their public school.

Dear All, please wish me to study Mandarin language until I, at least, understand and able to communicate in Mandarin!!

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