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Body Language Translator

27/7/2013

Confusing “Liù”

You’ve been in China for a few days already. You’ve mastered shopping in the supermarket (wasn’t that hard). It’s time to level up – night market. You’ve been warned that prices are not given and you might need to haggle for them. You’re aware that it’s going to be a challenge but you don’t fret over this. Equipped with your “Survival Chinese Dictionary” you’re ready to conquer mysterious world of street vendors with their even more mysterious food... Or at least that’s what you’ve thought.

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Survival Chinese Dictionary – how to go shopping

22/7/2013

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You live in China. Very soon you’re forced to face one of the unavoidable challenges of everyday life. You have to go shopping. You don’t speak Chinese. What to do?! Well if it’s just supermarket you want to visit, there’s no problem. Prices are written so you can simply see how much something costs. Problem starts when you want to buy something at the market. The prices are not only not given, but you also have to haggle for them.

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Taste of lotus

18/7/2013

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THAT - mysterious gift

You’re a foreign teacher in a small town in China. Your students (or their parents) being genuinely friendly bring you some snacks from time to time. You’re quite happy with that. You know that it will at least give your students a chance to practice phrases like ‘Thanks’ and ‘You’re welcome’. Maybe even encourage them to say something more in English. You’re already quite used to getting chocolates, candies, oranges or even dumplings. Sometimes however, you might get something else that will make you stare at your gift with greatest bewilderment and consternation...

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Taste of summer that really bugs me

16/7/2013

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Summer in Lishui. Nearly 40oC. Sounds of cicadas coming from every tree. Then you see something interesting. A man with something resembling a fishing rod is staring intensively at the tree. You can’t help but get curious. You get closer. Familiar sound is getting louder but you can’t find the source. And then you see it. A small bag that hangs from the man’s belt. You look closer and see something that might appear in your nightmare this night. The bag is full of cicadas. Why?! You think intensively. The only reasonable answer you can come up with is that the city hired people to catch cicadas because they make too much noise (not kidding about the noise. It seriously can drive people crazy). Quite convinced with your own explanation you’re not bothered anymore by the appearance of the mysterious man. At least until your Chinese friend takes you for lunch.

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Looking for the method in the madness - traffic in China

10/7/2013

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Chinese traffic, driving through the pavement

Pavement makes great shortcut when the street is still renovated.

1 year ago: So here you are, beginnig your new life in China. Lot of new challenges waiting for you just behind the corner (with the lack of ability to speak Chinese at the beginning of the list). Nevertheless you’re not getting discouraged. You’re in China realizing your long lasting dream! Of course you’re aware of many problems that you will have to face as a foreigner, but you’ve prepared yourself well, before living your country. You’ll manage!

After being taken care of by the teachers from your school for last few days, you’re finally prepared to face on your own, what you think would be the first challenge – shopping. Before leaving your apartment you’re taking your “Survival Chinese dictionary” and then you’re heading for the supermarket across the street... At this point your story takes sudden turn. Why? Think carefully. Supermarket is ACROSS the street! If you were in any Western country you would say: “so what?!”. But this is not Western country. This is China. Here ACROSS the street might be a source of your worst nightmares causing your life to flash before your eyes few times a day.

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Awe-inspiring name - foreign life begins

9/7/2013

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Imagine. You’re going to China for at least 1 year. It’s the country you’ve never seen before, which language you do not speak and which culture is very distant from your own. You land in Shanghai where you’re being picked up at the airport by a man who doesn’t speak English at all (thank God for Google translator). He takes you to Hanghzou (the capital of Zhejiang province) and next morning gets you on the bus going to Lishui (small town in Zhejiang province – your work place for the next year). He says that teachers from your new school are going to pick you up at the bus station in Lishui (at least that’s what you’ve understood from Google translation which, however helpful, can also be confusing at times).
So you’re going to your new destination, not sure what lies ahead of you. And finally you see them... three smiling faces - your future colleagues holding a paper with your name on it. Relief.

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Body Language Translator

Survival Chinese Dictionary – how to go shopping

Taste of lotus

Taste of summer that really bugs me

Looking for the method in the madness - traffic in China

Awe-inspiring name - foreign life begins

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Body Language Translator

Survival Chinese Dictionary – how to go shopping

Taste of lotus

Taste of summer that really bugs me

Looking for the method in the madness - traffic in China

Awe-inspiring name - foreign life begins

Who am I?

Categories

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