That's One Small Step for Man

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR RAY GERGEN

I did it. My errands. All alone. In the span of 15 minutes I bought 4 items from 3 different vendors -- who don't speak a lick of English. And I didn't just point either. I spoke some well-practiced verbs, recited pre-crafted sentences from a well-worn notebook page, and listened hard for you/mei you [have/don't have], numbers, and small talk. Tonight's interactions with the grocery man, the congee lady, and the fruit vendor proved to me that my Chinese is actually improving.

Scenario 1: Running Errands in the PAST

I point at something.

Seller: (some number) kwai.

They now hand the item over. But if they have to bag it, they wait until after they've got my cash.

I hand the money over -- usually in the form of a bill that is rather larger than the amount I think is asked for, just in case I am translating wrong.

I leave quickly, in case they start asking me questions.



Tonight's conversations all went like this second example, which actually happened this evening.


Scenario 2: Running Errands TONIGHT

Me: Wo yao zhe ge (points at light bulb in my hand). [I want this (points at light bulb in my hand).]

Me: Dengpao? [Light bulb?] I have no idea at this point if "dengpao" is "light bulb" or if I have just completely made up this word. The last time I tried to say "light bulb", I ended up saying "small knife".

Seller: Says unintelligible things in Chinese at me which I guess means "Do you want this same exact bulb?"

Me: Zhe ge. [This one.] I again point at the light bulb.

Seller: Says more unintelligible things in Chinese at me which I think mean "What wattage/voltage do you want?"

Me: I have no idea how to answer this question in Chinese. No vocabulary whatsoever.

Seller: ??? kan kan ???. [unknown words see see unknown words, which I translate to "Let me see it."] Upon seeing my confused face, he motions to me to give him the bulb, then he gives it to this student-customer next to me. She reads the voltage and wattage. I can tell this because they say something like "200" (v) and "40" (w).

Me: I start nodding emphatically.

Other Seller: 40 ??? ma? [40 unknown word?]

Me: I keep nodding emphatically.

Me: You mei you Taigu bing? [Do you have this type-of-bread-snack-thing-I-happen-to-eat-for-breakfast?]

Others: Confused looks all around.

Student-Customer: Taigu bing? [said in totally different tones than the ones I used.]

Seller: Grabs the bing off the shelf. 4 kwai.

Other Seller: Hands over the light bulb to the first seller.

Seller: 5 kwai.

Me: I pay with a 10, because I don't have the correct change. Zai jian! [Goodbye!]

Seller: Zai jian! [Goodbye!]



To think I can now understand or infer this much meaning in Chinese blows my mind. I finally feel a little more back in the game. In Germany, I bought lots of stuff all by myself. And the only German I knew was "please", "thank you", and the "numbers 1 through 5". Finally, 2 and 1/2 months in, I can finally ask for a light bulb that's hidden in a box somewhere in the back of the store.

Why did this take this long? Well, tonight I realized that speaking another language voluntarily is pretty much the scariest scenario I can do on a regular basis, legally. I think I jumped to task so quickly before because either I spoke German or didn't get to eat or find my train. With bucketfuls of American teachers and English students, I rarely am forced to take linguistic risks. Now I have to choose to take these risks, or else I will never improve. I must choose to stick my head into this Chinese storm alone, and trust that everything will be fine. Irregardless of public embarrassment or humongous misunderstanding.

And after every one of these trials by fire, I like China a bit more. Now that I order alone, I eat the food I want, when I want it -- which, for many reasons, is a rare gift in my China. I get to buy what I need when I have time, not when someone has time to take me. And out of the many small instances I have ordered alone, I've only gotten the wrong thing once. It's as if China herself were giving me a huge pat on the back. She says to me, after I order, "Ray you did butcher that grammar and those tones, but I see that you are trying. So against the odds, you will get that soup that you've been craving all week."

How do you like them apples?