I remember getting out of a packed taxi cab, rolling my luggage down the steep 400 meter incline, which led to my non-descript residence. The first people I encountered were about 20 retired teachers, who greeted me with a smile and made a few quiet comments amongst each other in Sichuan dialect. I made a feeble attempt to introduce myself, which my new neighbors accepted with grace and patience.
This friendly attitude scaled to nearly the entire population of Panzhihua, a city which houses about a million people and a handful foreigners. Because there were so few foreigners, I had no choice but to friends with locals, who (with the exception of a few) spoke only Mandarin or Sichuan dialect. This was a massive advantage compared to coastal Chinese cities, where kids and adults alike will pounce on any opportunity to speak English with a native speaker. At many restaurants and cafes, staff even refuse to speak in Chinese when they see a "non-Chinese looking" face. That was not the case in Panzhihua.
But I found that I still had to be selective about where I hung out and whom I spoke with. Too often, laowai get stuck in a routine in which they speak to the same shop owners, neighbors, and restaurant owners, repeating the same stock, Chinese 101 phrases. I've been guilty of this, too. For those who are serious about improving their language and cultural understanding, it's important to avoid this pitfall. Before are the four suggestions for bumping your Chinese up from "survival" level.
1.) Diversify the places that you hang out.
The problem with visiting the same spots every day is that you're probably not challenging yourself enough. Think about life in your home country. Do you have acquaintances who bring up the same topic literally every time you speak? I sure do. And, as a language learner, this can actually be quite comfortable. You have some level of human interaction, which is nice. You're using words you know, so you won't completely embarrass yourself.
While it is important to have your go-to spots, it usually won't do much for helping you learn new vocabulary. So try visiting new spots. One day, when I was exploring the city, I stumbled across a cool tea shop, where I found a passionate shop owner who taught all there is to know about tea -- from where it's grown, to what types there are, to its medicinal uses. Especially in the beginning, it seemed like I used my translator for every other word. But it also opened me to learning new vocabulary, culture, and sites in Sichuan China that I simply would not have learned about if I hadn't ventured outside my small network of shops. I similarly stumbled upon a gym from my new network of friends, which led me to an entirely new set of vocabulary (jintian, wo yao lian tui).
2.) Talk to lots of different people
Similar to my first point, it's important to talk to a lot of different people. Looking at it purely from a listening comprehension angle, people have different accents, vocabulary, speed, intonation. If you only talk to a few nearby shop owners or your teacher, you will calibrate your ear very well to the people you normally speak with, but might have trouble understanding strangers. Another thing is that your frequent conversation partners probably have a good sense of the words and grammar structures you understand best, which may not align with the way the average Chinese person speaks. This is why you hear so many people say, "I understand my teacher so well! Why can't I understand anyone else?"
3.) Don't be shy
Most people in China will be thrilled to talk to you. In fact, you may be the first foreigner who has ever spoken to them. My students all vividly remember every detail about the first time they spoke with a foreigner, from what the person looked like, where the conversation happened, and what they talked about. Of course, I'm not encouraging you to think you're special and deserve to be treated like royalty. But just know that most people will be open to speaking with expats. Some of these conversations can lead to knowledge transfer of local sites, or even new friendships.
4.) Make a genuine effort to understand the culture
The people I met in China were always extremely pleased when they saw expats make an effort to learn their culture. Learn a couple of words in the local dialect. Eat an out-of-the-ordinary food that locals assume is too extreme for a laowai. Sing karaoke and "gan-bei" the head of the table. These activities do not require deep knowledge of Chinese culture, but do indicate that you've learned something during your stay. Frankly, the bar has been set so low by prior generations of expats -- who avoided all contact with locals -- that it's not very hard to impress people.
A few spots that I really liked hanging out in Panzhihua:
Teahouses -- The tea shop near the gym or at Panzhihua park. After a workout, I would buy a 10 kuai cup of mao feng cha, which came with unlimited hot water.
Gym -- This was a hidden gym inside local sports arena. These dudes were jacked, and very cool to talk to. They taught me a lot about discipline, politics, gong ku (Kung Fu), and MMA in China.
Basketball -- Anywhere there was a court. In Chengdu, I would play at Sichuan University. In Panzhihua, I would play at Panzhihua University. Sometimes, I would tease my students for a short time, saying that I almost made the NBA.
Neighborhood "xiuxi" time gatherings -- Whether it be hanging out with the local grandmas, or standing at the edge of a MaZhong game (yes, I know the pinyin is spelled differently).
Restaurants -- My favorite place was an open air shao kao spot, about a 15 min walk away called, Jiu Fu Er. This was a great opportunity to meet new drinking buddies, especially when I initiated the "gan bei."
No comments:
Post a Comment