Speaking Chinese?

Rick and I are language idiots.  We each need a senior companion who is already fluent in the native tongue.  I’ve become quite adept at sign language but the Chinese words are just not coming easily.  Where is Alyssa Staheli?

I purchase all fruits and vegetables from the open market where no one speaks English.  I carry a list of the words I want to use but flail my arms and point at my requests with a little grunt.  Pathetic!  The phrases spewing from my mouth are Chintalian.  Shouldn’t they be able to understand any foreign language?  After all, they are foreigners!  Oops,  I’m the stranger here and  giving them plenty of reasons to laugh.

The college printing office provided a service we needed so we braved the language fear and marched forward with our dictionary, phone apps, and stack of needed copies.  Using our best Tarzan Chinese and taxing a very patient printer, we succeeded!  The experience left Rick exhausted and me encouraged.  I couldn’t appear more foolish than I have so let’s press forward to the next language challenge!

We are very good at bowing and saying xiexie (thank you).   My best “go to” statement is,  “I’m sorry, my Chinese is very bad.” (spoken in Chinese, of course)   I usually follow that by asking, “Do you speak English?”  (spoken in Chinese, of course)  Many people just speak Mandarin slower and louder.  That must be an international trait used to help the foreigner understand the local language.