Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Sound Bites from Shenyang

Well, friends, my blogging has been pretty crappy over the past six months. Life has gotten away from me and blog drafts have been left untouched for months at a time, along with my reflections about life here. But Chinese New Year is bringing about a fresh start and I have resolved to rekindle my blog. Now let's see if I can stick to my 中国 New Year's resolution better than I can my 美国 New Year's Resolution that is going on it's third year... ;)

To kick off the China blog entries of 2015, here are a few sound bites that hopefully help to give some insight to the types of conversations* that I am accustomed to here in 中国...

Amber: Wow, Julie, this cake is really good!
Julie: Thanks!
Amber: No, but really... I don't normally like cake. But this is really good.
Julie: Ha, well you didn't used to like cake, but you live in China now.

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James: I have a lot to do yesterday.
Amber: Gotcha.
James: Gotcha! There, you said it again! Miss Baker, Mr. Johnson, and Miss Futoran don't say "gotcha". I think it is because they don't speak Spanish.

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In advisory group, the students were asked to decorate a puzzle piece with pictures, words, and symbols that described them. After putting them together into one poster, one student steps back to take a look. After zoning in on mine he turns to me...
Sarah: "Miss Rogers, what flag did you draw on your puzzle?
Amber: A Spanish flag!
Sarah: (Pauses) Why did you draw a Spanish flag and not an American flag?

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Amber: Do you have brothers or sisters, Luke?
Luke: No. I have a cousin.
After having this conversation numerous times, I have realized that many Chinese of the younger generations consider a cousin equal to a sibling.

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Nick: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Amber: I have two older brothers, one younger sister, and one half sister.
Nick: Oh. Do you like having brothers and sisters?
Amber: Yeah! I mean, when we were little we fought, but now it's great. We like to do play games together and hang out and stuff.
Nick: Hmmmmm. Do all brothers and sisters fight?
Amber: Pretty much. Some fight more than others, but it's normal to fight because you spend so much time with them.
Nick resumes what he is doing. A few moments later... 
Nick: What about cousins? Do you have cousins?
Amber: Yep.
NickDo they fight?
Amber: Not really. I didn't see my cousins so much so I didn't fight with them. I just played and hung out with them when I saw them.... Do you have cousins, Nick?
Nick: No. My mom and dad didn't have brothers and sisters either.
Nick looks down, then up again.
Nick: You know, I think I would probably fight with my brothers and sisters too if I had them. Because all brothers and sisters fight. But not my cousins. Cousins would just be for playing.

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Lauren: I just like to go to Starbucks so I can not be in China for a little bit.

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Amber: 你 sprechen deutch 马? (Do you speak German?)
Probably the first and last time I will speak Germese...
...but Spanese has become a real thing.
Amber: Le dije que quería ir a 沈水路, pero creo que sería mejor decirle 东方威尼斯, ¿no? (I told him that I wanted to go to Shen Shui street, but I think it would be better to tell him Oriental Venice Garden, right?)
...or...
Amber: 我喜欢做 tortilla española 但是橄榄油太贵。(I like making the Spanish tortilla, but olive oil is very expensive.)

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Marsha: How's the bathroom?
Amber: Not bad. It's a trough, but it's really clean.

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Amber: 年节去我的朋友家。我给她的家人什么?(I'm going to my Chinese friend's house for Chinese New Year. What should I take her family?)
Lisa: Hmmm... 问提很好。(...good question.)
Amber: Someone told me that it is common to give people oil for New Year. Should I buy them oil?
Lisa bursts out in laughter...
Lisa: No, no, no! That's too Chinese!
Amber: What do you mean?! That's what I'm going for!
Lisa: Nooooo... a company might buy their employees rice or oil. But you shouldn't give them that. How about some milk? Or some expensive fruit?
Amber: Uhhhhh, okay. Or could I just take chocolate chip cookies?
Lisa: 好。(Good.)

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Ann: Teacher! I have the same computer as you!
Amber: Cool, Ann!
Ann: Yeah, I bought it with my own money.
Amber: Wow! (How in the world did you get all of that money?!) So, uh... how did you make your money?
Ann: I saved all of my money from Chun Jie.
Amber: Ahhh, cool! (Hmmmmm, now I have a better sense of how many bills are in those red envelopes that everyone will be giving kids during Chinese New Year.)

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While I'm crunching away on some unknown dish at one of our neighborhood Korean restaurants...
Andy: I think it's jellyfish. 
Amber: What?! No way. That's not jellyfish.
I continue crunching away, trying to figure out if this clear crunchy food is some derivative of cabbage or a different new vegetable.
Jessica: What is that down there, Andy?
Andy: It's not glass noodles. I think it's jellyfish.
Amber: (Thinking I'm in on the joke) Yeah, yeah. It's jellyfish.
I keep eating and telling others at the table that the unknown dish is jellyfish. After a while, the waiter arrives.
Andy: 那个 是 (Is that)... makes hand motions to show the movement of a jellyfish... 马? 
Waitress: 对。 (Yes.)
I realize that I am not in on any sort of joke. And that jellyfish tastes nothing like I expected.

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Elevator doors open, and I see two bags on the floor, but no person. Then a middle-aged Chinese woman leans forward from the corner of the elevator and waves me in.
Amber: 你好。(Hello.)
Woman:  你好。(Hello.)
I look back at the bags on the opposite side of the elevator and realize... one of them is a bag of dead birds. The woman must notice the look of shock and distaste on my face, because she begins to explain...
Woman: ---------------... (A long series of Chinese words that I can't understand...)
I smile nervously and nod, hoping that is an appropriate response in such a circumstance.
Woman: 听不懂马?(You don't understand?)
Amber: 听不懂。(I don't understand.)
The elevator opens, and I eagerily get out of the elevator, wondering if a few years of Chinese language studies would have in fact helped her understand why a woman was coming down from her apartment in house clothes with a plastic grocery bag full of dead birds, feathers and all. Where did they come from?!

Much love from 中国,
Amber 

*Most names have been changed. 

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