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.
Nick: Do 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: 我年节去我的朋友家。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.
