Baby Steps with Mandarin

When deciding upon Shanghai as a destination I reached a comfortable ambivalence when it came to learning the Chinese language; or to be specific, learning Mandarin. Universally one thing is known about Mandarin, that it is hard to learn. People who know nothing about China somehow know the language is akin to some form of verbal calculus. Additionally, China has about 5 main languages and they don't mesh smoothly. A country the size of the US with many diverse cultural histories and 1.5 billion people is bound to have some differences. The government has decided that language heritage is not a high priority and that everyone in China needs to speak Mandarin. Still a language know as Shanghaiese dominates in Shanghai (not surprisingly) and Mandarin is seen as a business, work and otherwise kind of uncool language. Knowing these things made the thought of learning Mandarin, or any Chinese language, simultaneously daunting and uninspiring.

About 5 minutes after getting off the plane my ambivalence faded into the hazy sky. My ride was late and the thought of hailing a taxi and traveling over an hour with my non existent communication skills made me hungry for the convenience of speech. For all it's internationalism, Shanghai is still China, and China is confusing. Especially if you can't understand anyone. So I sat and waited and wondered and felt helpless. I hate feeling helpless.

So I set about learning. I can now count to 10, say good morning and tell a cab driver I want to go somewhere. They are humble beginnings but I'm quite proud of them.

There is one wild card helping me quite a bit. I don't mind making a fool of myself. Actually, I quite enjoy taking actions that others might find embarrassing, bold, silly or unorthodox. They don't make me feel like a fool, they amuse me. Without this trait I wouldn't survive my chosen career as a middle school teacher. So to defeat my helplessness I have begun parroting people incessantly. When I hear Chinese I parrot it. Never mind that I'm clueless as to whether I'm hearing Mandarin or Shanghaiese, I find this a fun way to pass the time. It is not hard to overhear the language. The Chinese are loud talkers, and the volume quadruples if there is a cell phone involved. It makes wonder about hearing loss and if it is common problem in China. When the volume soars to a near scream I listen and I quietly repeat it. When I talk with a local and they say something that leaves me clueless, like anything that isn't the numbers 1-10 or good morning, I repeat it like an five year old oscillating between cute and annoying.

Amazingly this parroting is highly entertaining to people. I'm really trying to sound accurate and not patronize but my mouth is not used to these funny sounds and the resulting noises amuses travelers, expats and Chinese locals equally. This is especially true with the tones, which I am determined to master and which are also baffling at this point. It seems logical that the descending tone would descend but I just don't hear it. So I give my best effort at repetition and I get laughs like I'm Jerry Sienfeld. I love it! Maybe someday the I'll get used to the volume and then start hearing the tones and people will stop laughing. And then I will be sad.

First Day in Shanghai

Before leaving for Shanghai I stopped into Powell’s Book Store with a friend. I was extolling her on the wisdom of Siddhartha: when I finished raving and rambling she decided to buy the book. So here I was in Powell’s, a place that is near impossible to leave without buying a book, and I see the brand new, shiny and bright, Lost on Planet China sitting in the best-seller rack. Being rather bored of travel books (ie lonely planet) this book fit my criteria of being about China and also engagingly written. Powell’s worked its magic and we both left with new reading material.

This book was my plane flight reading and between my long naps I would eagerly flip the pages looking for glimpses of what might await. By chapter two the author had expounded thoroughly upon the difficulty of the Chinese language, the horrific pollution, the deadly traffic laws, the frequency of phlegm filled spit flying through the air, public defecation, line cutting, disease, and a host of other concerns. These came in no particular order and each page held a new critique that left wondering what exactly I was doing on a plane to China.

My first evening was a hazy, jet-lagged and uneventful. The school I’m working for is owned by a luxury golf resort (weird huh) and for my first two months I can stay at room at the course for free. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) the resort is more than a hour outside of town . After reading about the horrors of Chinese cities for the past 18 hours I considered staying in my air-conditioned, green and lush, golf course resort. I don’t even golf but, I admit, I was tempted to stay inside and read about how bad China is as opposed to actually experiencing it myself.

Instead I threw the book in my bag, as if I hadn’t had enough, hailed a Taxi and off I went. I arrived in downtown Shanghai and to see a lightly clouded, almost pollution free, blue sky on a comfortable day. I found myself in the old French Concession and it was pleasantly populated, with wide streets that were clean and nice. I met a German friend and a German restaurant and settled down to a Rueben Sandwich and a German beer served by a Chinese waitress wearing a traditional German dress(See pics.) Where is this China I’d been reading about?

We decided to take the Metro the one stop to the very heart of the city, the People’s square. Here I thought for sure I would experience the craziness of overpopulation, the subway to the center of a thriving metropolis of more than 18 million. Yet again, I was surprised. Yes, the car was full, but I’ve been on way crazier crowded trains on Mexico City.

Maybe it was a good day. Maybe the Olympics are cleaning all large Chinese cities for a few weeks. Maybe in 3 weeks it’ll all be over. But I hope not! I’m hoping the China I’ve been reading about is a place I can explore on the weekend and gather a handful crazy tales of eating sheep’s brain and dodging spit. Until then I’m happy to live the Shanghai I found on my first day.

Goodnight US

I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic. And it hit me. Tomorrow I will be in China! The thousands of dancers and the sheer magnitude of the event gave me the goosebumps. China is so damn big! How exactly will I swim in this ocean of people. The goosebumps come back whenever I think about it.

Now I'm packing at 2:30 AM, leaving in less then 5 hours. I've spent all week partying with my amazing friends and family (I'll miss you guys) and pushing with a mad rush to finish my CD. I'm calm and alert. I usually this way before I travel. I'm ready to experience the new and unknown.

Shanghai here I come!