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Tonight a teacher saved my life :)
OK, not quite literally saved my life, but it certainly felt very close to it. A little travel story:
So there I am, six days into my nine day trip to China, with Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 completed, and a few lessons into level three. I'm groping around some of the seriously dark and run down backstreets of Beijing after leaving a tiny dance club/bar that has a particularly obscure type of swing dance that I enjoy. I've left early because I know that the subway system (which is magnificently easy to use, by the way) closes pretty early by my reckoning, and I want to be sure I can get back to my hotel in time for a decent night's sleep before work tomorrow. Except that I miss the last train... Ooops. So now I'm standing on a street corner waving frantically at every passing cab, and eventually one stops (there aren't many, and most are taken, it's quite a long wait, and anxiety is building a little).
I know that Beijing cab drivers don't necessarily know their way around their own city all that well, so I decide to describe my destination in terms of the very nearby subway station. The cab driver refuses to take me. I'm not honestly sure if he's trying to tell me to get on the subway, or if he's saying that he's going South, not North, anyway, he makes it pretty clear I have to get out.
Another twenty minutes or so passes and finally another cab stops. This time, I give the exact street address "zhichun lu, ershi wu hao" (fortunately, it's a fairly major street and he seems to give indications of being aware of its existence), then I tell him "zuo guai"--turn left! I also show him where I'm going on my android pad GPS. He doesn't seem very thrilled to have me on board, but I explain about three different ways that it's at this particular street address, that it's "zai na li"--right there on the map, and to turn left! He starts driving, with me giving occasional directions, until after a while, I say go left, and he says "wo zhidao"--know. After that, we have a bit of entertainment explaining "ting zheli"--stop here and him trying to find a legitimate place to actually stop, but we get to the right place give or take a hundred yars in the end.
That seven mile (approximately) trip cost just 25 Yuan (less than 5 USD). Mandarin 1+2 with 3, a bit under 400 USD. The experience, and thrill of successfully navigating Beijing at close to midnight when the odds seemed to be stacked heavily against me, priceless...
Two things are for sure; first a dollar goes a long way in this town (so long as you don't eat in your hotel, or some imported US restaurant like a KFC!) and second? You really won't enjoy life much if you don't speak some of the language. And if you're on this page, the chances are good that you've found a good way to solve that particular issue.
So, thanks Sonia, thanks Yi, this has been one amazing adventure, and thanks to you two and your team, it's been hugely rewarding fun. Without you, I hardly even want to imagine the mess I would have been in...
So there I am, six days into my nine day trip to China, with Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 completed, and a few lessons into level three. I'm groping around some of the seriously dark and run down backstreets of Beijing after leaving a tiny dance club/bar that has a particularly obscure type of swing dance that I enjoy. I've left early because I know that the subway system (which is magnificently easy to use, by the way) closes pretty early by my reckoning, and I want to be sure I can get back to my hotel in time for a decent night's sleep before work tomorrow. Except that I miss the last train... Ooops. So now I'm standing on a street corner waving frantically at every passing cab, and eventually one stops (there aren't many, and most are taken, it's quite a long wait, and anxiety is building a little).
I know that Beijing cab drivers don't necessarily know their way around their own city all that well, so I decide to describe my destination in terms of the very nearby subway station. The cab driver refuses to take me. I'm not honestly sure if he's trying to tell me to get on the subway, or if he's saying that he's going South, not North, anyway, he makes it pretty clear I have to get out.
Another twenty minutes or so passes and finally another cab stops. This time, I give the exact street address "zhichun lu, ershi wu hao" (fortunately, it's a fairly major street and he seems to give indications of being aware of its existence), then I tell him "zuo guai"--turn left! I also show him where I'm going on my android pad GPS. He doesn't seem very thrilled to have me on board, but I explain about three different ways that it's at this particular street address, that it's "zai na li"--right there on the map, and to turn left! He starts driving, with me giving occasional directions, until after a while, I say go left, and he says "wo zhidao"--know. After that, we have a bit of entertainment explaining "ting zheli"--stop here and him trying to find a legitimate place to actually stop, but we get to the right place give or take a hundred yars in the end.
That seven mile (approximately) trip cost just 25 Yuan (less than 5 USD). Mandarin 1+2 with 3, a bit under 400 USD. The experience, and thrill of successfully navigating Beijing at close to midnight when the odds seemed to be stacked heavily against me, priceless...
Two things are for sure; first a dollar goes a long way in this town (so long as you don't eat in your hotel, or some imported US restaurant like a KFC!) and second? You really won't enjoy life much if you don't speak some of the language. And if you're on this page, the chances are good that you've found a good way to solve that particular issue.
So, thanks Sonia, thanks Yi, this has been one amazing adventure, and thanks to you two and your team, it's been hugely rewarding fun. Without you, I hardly even want to imagine the mess I would have been in...