Journeys With Stephen

Tag: Beijing

  • Welcome to China, where you can’t speak, read or write

    Welcome to China, where you can’t speak, read or write

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    I love China. I was on one of my early trips there, and the task was pretty straightforward: walk from my hotel to the nearest subway and ride it to my company’s office. I already knew that I couldn’t take a taxi in Beijing without being able to speak Chinese, but I wasn’t worried.

    For taxis, foreigners usually need someone to write down the destination address in Chinese characters on a slip of paper to hand to the taxi driver. The drivers don’t read maps either, so pointing to a spot on one is fruitless. If they get lost, they call a buddy for help. Now there are apps to show the address in Chinese from your phone – but even the app isn’t always correct, as streets keep changing. I know; I have used an app and been taken to the wrong place more than once.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Chinese you are here sign” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Chinese-you-are-here-sign.jpg” alt=”Chinese you are here sign” title_text=”Chinese you are here sign” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Fear not, I had been studying conversational Mandarin for a few months and could master some simple sentences in case I got lost. Which I did. My map, entirely in Chinese characters (which I don’t read), indicated the subway station should be close by, but I saw no signs. Of course the street signs are also only in Chinese, but I was looking for the little blue subway logo. Where was it?

    As the mid-morning sun beat down on me in my dark suit and no longer crisp white shirt, I sought the answer. I would duck into the nearby air-conditioned department store and simply ask someone. And I knew how to say it! “Laojia, ditian zhan zai nar?” Literally, “Excuse me, subway station is where?”

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing subway station sign” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Beijing-subway-station-sign.jpg” alt=”Beijing subway station sign” title_text=”Beijing subway station sign” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    As expected, none of the sales clerks spoke English. What I didn’t expect was that no one understood a word I was saying. Should I speak more slowly? Louder? Use hand gestures?

    Well folks, the culture shock we feel going to China versus most tourist spots in the world, is that you are truly illiterate. You can’t speak, listen, read, or write. And English really isn’t a second language, like in much of the Western world. Yes, kids study English in school and have to pass a test to get into college. But the emphasis is on reading and writing, and of course they forget even a lot of that over time. The average person simply does not speak a word of English.

    The conversational difficulties are exacerbated by the Chinese tonal system. Every syllable essentially can be pronounced up to 4 different ways, yielding 4 different meanings. Hey, not that English is easy. Try saying this out loud: “Put some clothes on that animal. I can’t bear to see a bare bear!” We understand it because the words are in context.

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    Here I was in a department store, where they expected me to be asking for men’s clothing or shoes, and instead I was saying something else. Maybe the puzzled looks were just over a Caucasian speaking Chinese.

    Finally, a customer who spoke some English interpreted my request. “Oh, you mean ditian (subway).” “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been saying.” It turns out that one of the many station entrances was less than 50 meters out the door. They pointed me in the right direction.

    I’m not alone in discovering this culture shock. Deborah Fallows has written a fabulous book about it, “Dreaming in Chinese.” My favorite story was of her walking into a Taco Bell and asking if they have dabao (takeout). They were confused to have a lady asking for a “big hug” or a newspaper or if there was a hail storm outside. Oh well.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing subway route map” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Beijing-subway-route-map.jpg” alt=”Beijing subway route map” title_text=”Beijing subway route map” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    I don’t mean to scare the first-time visitor. Actually, there is an alphabet-based equivalent to the Chinese characters, called pinyin, which helps. I wrote the Chinese sentence above, “Laojia, ditian zhan zai nar?” using pinyin. The subways in major cities list every stop in pinyin, and the nice lady on the speaker says them aloud in an English sentence. “Next stop Fuxingmen.” They are not hard to maneuver.

    Even on an escalator you might hear the recorded voice say in English, “Please hold the handrail and get off” (in case you don’t know how to ride an escalator).

    Big hotels usually have English-speaking staff who can help in numerous ways.

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    And menus often have pictures, which we know are worth a thousand words that we can’t read. That’s a real help in China that I wish more countries would adopt. One time in Paris I thought I was ordering a veal chop in French, but wound up with a plate of calves’ brains. A picture would have helped a lot.

    So, go with it. Language challenges are part of the adventure – and make for interesting tales to recount later.

    This story is one that appears in the mini version of my upcoming eBook, Pearls of Wisdom about China. You can read some others simply by signing up below for the free newsletter.

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    What’s upscale?

    Staying at luxury Western hotels generally increases your chances of having English-speaking staff who can help translate (and gladly help you practice your Chinese).

    What’s budget?

    All those transportation methods. Taxis are usually reasonable in China and subways are downright cheap (and fun).

     

     

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  • Why not take a staycation?

    Why not take a staycation?

    Staycations are harmonious with our philosophy of “Upscale Travel on a Budget.” Why?

    If you realize that the greatest extra expense incurred on a trip is transportation (airfare, rental car, etc.) and lodging (hotel, Airbnb), then on a staycation you have eliminated both of those from your budget.

    helicopter 12 apostles australiaSo why not go upscale and spend some of that money like a luxury-minded tourist who is visiting your area? Eat at your finest or hippest restaurant or book a private room for friends and family. Take the private tour at your zoo or art gallery. Buy premium seats at the stadium or arena or theatre. Take a helicopter ride over your city. Do the things you would love to do on a distant trip, paid for with the money you saved in travel and lodging!

    One of my jobs is to host people who are traveling to where I live, Southern California, and to my “adopted home” of Beijing, China. I have learned so many fascinating places to visit locally just by researching and then takingdisneyland california stephen henson others there. Some questions asked to me and my answers:

    • “The best view of the CBD in Beijing must be from the highest point, 88 floors up in the World Trade Center, right? No! It is from the bar just above the lobby of the Park Hyatt, where your view includes the tallest building.”
    • “The best time to visit Disneyland is in a middle of the day, after the morning rush, right? No! The crowds just continue to build as the day goes along. You need to be a part of that morning rush, arriving before it opens.”
    • “The best time to visit Griffith Park Observatory is on a nice, sunny morning, right? No! For the views back at Los Angeles you will be looking into the sun. Go just before sunset to see the city in both daylight and at night.”
    • “The best place to stay for Los Angeles would be downtown in the heart of the action, right? No! In this driving metropolis, it is better to stay in Santa Monica, within walking distance of the beach, fine shops and restaurants. Then drive around L.A. for events, theatre, sightseeing.”
    • “The best section of the Great Wall to visit is Badaling, because it is closest to Beijing, right? No! That is where the big tour buses go. So, is it Mutianyu? Well, even that is getting crowded. Now we go early to the reopened, rustic Simitai section. And it’s still an easy day trip from Beijing.”great wall of china simitai

    The point is, you know your home area. You can explore it the way an expert, private tour guide would. And pretend that you are on an upscale vacation while you are doing it!

    I suggest you start by making a list of things to do and places to see in your area from the perspective of an out-of-town traveler. There are many websites that offer staycation ideas to get you started. For example, I was surprised that so many tourists come to Orange County for whale watching, something that I, as a local, haven’t done in years. Why not? Why do I sometimes forget that San Diego is only an hour or so down the freeway? I could visit there on a day trip as a toursan francisco victoriansist and then drive back to my lovely “vacation” home at night. I could do the same with Palm Springs, Big Bear Mountain, Catalina Island or Malibu. Draw a daytime driving radius from your hometown and play the same game. You may be surprised at the staycation ideas within reach.

    Here’s another advantage to a staycation. I’m betting that your apartment or house is bigger and nicer than a hotel room. I think it has more amenities even than a hotel suite (they don’t want to wash towels every day either). Well, on a staycation, that home is what you are coming back to each night. Pretend you have rented your own home from Airbnb. How much would it have cost you to stay there? Look how much money you are saving every night. Spend it on something upscale during your staycation. Or save it for the next out-of-town trip. Either way, you win!