Today's Taxi: Scenes 1 and 2

Shelley: Take us to the Metro Market
Driver: No, I will take you to a better market
Shelley: No, take us to the Metro Market
Driver: I will drop you off on side of road...but not charge you.
Shelley: No, take us to the Metro Market like you agreed.
(repeat about 5 times)
Driver: Americans are bad

Silence.
Taxi pulls into an ally. Driver gets out.

Lizzie: uuummmmm

Two new men get into the taxi.

Lizzie: ummmmmm
New Passenger: How old are you? About 24?
Shelley: Close enough
New Passenger: I would marry you
Shelley: *Laugh*
New Passenger: (points to Lizzie) You are so white...you are so beautiful.
Lizzie: ummmmmm

New Passenger gets out.

New Driver: That is my friend...he is fun to play with.

We arrive at destination.

Lizzie: ummmmmmmm

The Market

Below is a conversation that I can imagine having after going to the market:

American Friend: So what did you do today?

Me: Well, I had breakfast and then I went to the market

American Friend: Oh that’s nice.  What else did you do?

Me: Ummm….Rested from the market and had dinner…

American Friend:  That’s it?

Me: Well…ummm…yep.

Task in America: Simple

Task in China: Complex

Completed task in America: Check it off the list

Completed task in China: Check it off the list, run down and tell a teammate, and do a happy dance.

Food from Home

Tonight Elisa, Beth, and I ate at a small diner that served Taiyuan food.  Elisa shared that she used to live in Taiyuan, which caused excited chatter to break out from the owner and cook.

The owner of the restaurant, so excited to share her love of her home city, gave Elisa a whole bottle of Taiyuan vinegar sauce as a gift…a gift from home. 

Not understanding the language can be hard.  However, when I don’t know the language the actions, emotions and expressions become the words.  Excitement, joy, sharing, pride, and generosity became her words that communicated as clearly as if she were speaking English. 

I have always said that food is my love language…

The Park

While in Beijing, our teacher told us to observe, observe some more, and then ask questions.

Well, this morning I observed.

I observed men performing synchronized sword exercises.

I observed group tai chi.

I observed people clapping and hitting themselves (It looked random but I doubt it was random).

I observed friends jogging through the park together.

I observed many people completing the exercise circuit in the workout park.

I observed men listening intently to their teacher on how to perfect their character calligraphy.

I observed hackysack, singing, and talking with friends.

I observed intentional beauty in the park.

I observed discipline, community and serenity.

My question: Why did it take me so long to come here?

Workout circuit

Calligraphy Practice

Progress Report

I have been living in China for 2 weeks now. This may not seem like much of a feat...but it is.

The #1 lesson learned in those two weeks...Chinese is HARD.

Basically, I can speak food and read directions.

I can now speak the words for the following:
Boiled water, rice, tea, bill, waitress, dumplings, north, Hi, thank you, no thank you, goodbye, how much is this, road, this, and that
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9...)

I know the characters for the following:
North, south, east (need to figure out west), middle, gate, exit, faith (you need that to survive the chaos, I mean traffic)

...and that's about it.

In Guatemala, I could get around and understand quite a bit after one or two weeks. Here...ummm well you've seen my progress report.

According to statistics it takes the average person 20 weeks (30 hrs/week) to gain intermediate proficiency in Spanish. To gain intermediate proficiency in Chinese would take 50 weeks (30 hrs/week).

So my new goal for all the world to know: Conquer the book "Survival Chinese" by Christmas. I have lowered my expectations and raised them all at the same time...here I go!

(Oh! I also know the characters for man and woman...so I don't walk into an awkward situation, if you get my drift.)

Sprite and Water

Have you ever taken a big gulp of water just to discover it was Sprite?

That's how I would describe my early days in China.  I like water...I like Sprite...I just never know which one I am going to get.

Some examples:
I ordered beef dumplings (or so I thought):  I received mutton dumplings
I purchased vanilla cookies: nope, I purchased lemon cookies
I purchased mint gum: that would be green tea gum
I went to the park: there was dancing in the park
I thought it was a clear day: there was a monsoon in Beijing

In conclusion, China is amazing.  However, I often go out for water and come back with Sprite.

...I like Sprite.

Dancing in the Park

Basi Ping Guo!

My First English Lesson

I had dreams about giving my first English lesson in China.  I would be in my classroom, dressed ever so professionally, my chalkboard would be pristine and organized, and my students would be eager and ready to learn.  (I know, I know…I dream big)

My first English lesson happened a few days ago…in a shoe store.

Yes, I was buying shoes…but they were really cheap and cute!

It happened like this. 

Beth and I were on an adventure.  In that adventure, we found a coffee shop with a really nice Chinese barista who showed me where to buy my umbrella (different story to come later about Beijing monsoons).  We then wandered over to this mall of sorts.  I became super excited about a small shop overflowing with shoes.  I eagerly began to look around and with the help of the store owner I discovered my shoe size (with wool socks I am a size 40). 

After a few minutes in the store, I became aware that the store’s population had risen from 4 to about 10.  As the shop owner, Beth, and I repeatedly said my shoe size of forty and the price of forty five, I began to hear a low mumble.  As I tuned and looked, I saw 3 men at the front of the store repeating, “Forty – Five,” “Forty Five,” and “Forty Five.”  As I looked at the crowd that had gathered, which included the little ladies picking up the shoes I had tried on and the men mimicking my words, I realized that I had just completed my first English lesson.  Forty Five!