The incidence on bad Chinese

I am back after being exiled to the labor camp since the beginning of the New Year, 8 days workweek is just a little hard to bare, but then it is China, they made their own rule. It is not worth it when the government mandates three days off to celebrate New Year and then work 8 days afterward to make up your time off, that is no holiday at all, some how that is how that works here.

Needless to say the first change I got I party my heart out until 2AM then finish the labor camp with the last of a 12 hours workday. When the weekend finally arrived, I crashed that is another insight into the life of living in Dreamland.

I have been in Shanghai over a year now, My Chinese is getting better, I can do basic communication with my language skill, or at least that is what I thought. I know a lot of hidden places in this city because I love to browse around the old streets when I have the free time. There is really no other ways but to explore by walking.

I can even give out direction to the locals that some time it is better just to stay on the metro to get to the destination instead of the train, bus and walk route they been doing it. That does not mean I do not get lost here. As a matter of fact that is a standing bet if I will get to some place on time without end up in the different party of town, or on a different floor of the meeting point agree upon. That is entire differ story that the one I am going to tell you about here.

I mention that I think my Chinese is getting better correct? Well over the Christmas holidays. I was traveling with family via the train to Suzhou, a city about half an hour away from Shanghai. The local train came out from a smaller local station instead of the new modern station. I did not know that being a foreigner, I couldn’t purchase ticket in the same building as the local. First that is because we do not have a Chinese ID   to use the machine. Secondly we are require to show a physical Passport before ticket will be issue. Third ticket for foreigners were not even sold in the same building as if we were diseased, had to be quarantined to another building.

So I went to purchased ticket as I as told, all went tell, no words were exchange, just money and gesture, and that is where my problem started. After I finally figure out what all the Chinese on the ticket meant, I realize I have less than 15 minutes to make the world record dash to cross the street, thru the tunnel, cross the plaza, up the escalator plus get thru the security check point in order to make the gate before it closes. If you have ever watch the amazing race that it was it was like, except I am traveling with senior member of my family with luggage’s that made it even harder.

The best had yet to follow, to be on the safe side, I decided to ask for direction before I get lost and miss the train. My family I am traveling with was foreigners, and I am obviously Asian, that was just the start. I was being polite; since most of the guards in Chinese train station do not speak English. I ask the Guard in Chinese to point me to the boarding gate and waiting room. Instead of answer my request, he turn to my family, and response to them in English to let them know that being a tour guide my Chinese is that worst he ever heard. How insulting, and My family was laughing so hard almost lost their footing, not because of my bad Chinese, but the guard had mistaken me as their tour guide, next time I am going to carry one of those tour guide flag with me.

Not that funny to me, but then when I told

It will get better. Until the other day, I was at my familiar French bakery the story to my local friends they laugh out loud and agree. I think I should take out their name from my party invite list.

Never the less I though that was just an incident, I did not pay that much attention to it, until one day at one of the French bakery I patron frequently, while I was paying for my purchase, the manager said I knew you are Americans, but you are Chinese also, how come your Chinese I so bad.

By now, I am fed up with all of them from now on I am only going to speak only English to them, the hell with being polite trying to speak Chinese to the locals they just have to deal with me in English until they don’t know what I am talking about then I can say how come your English is so bad for being a shop keeper for expats.

The sad part is that most of the time they don’t know what we are talking about id we spoke on English to them, they knock their head as if the understood, but in fact they don’t. You wanted to buy bread you may end up buying Bugs, no exaggeration.

So, should I go back to mandarin school? No I am not, I have no time for that, I know I can get by 70% of the time, there are plenty of people understood me especially the Taxi drivers, they know where I wanted to go, I suppose all those hours spend riding the metro, learning all the name a d pronunciation of all the stops from the above head speaker pays off. I can speak (perfect) subway Chinese. That is a credit I can claim. I even know the difference in tone and in writing between a lane, a street, a road, and a district. Of course after many late night Taxi ride end up in dark street I had never saw before I learn to pronounce everything correctly, at 80% correct at 70% of the time.

As you can see it is a lot of fun living aboard speaking the language alone is a challenge. Just try to point at the picture on the menu instead, it is perfectly acceptable. Pretend to be smart-ass doe not pay off there. You may end up with something entire different that you think they were. The other night at the restaurant, one of my friend wanted to be in charge, he thought he ordered meat from the picture that he recognize the word pork instead he got the fat and the skin but not the lean meat. I was in no mood to be merciful that night, I made me ate all the fat pieces in the pot.

I am kind of evil these day don’t you think?

Chance Encounter Shanghai.