just "ting bu dong" it

If you want to feel completely useless... move to a country where you don't speak the language.

The title of this post was the philosophy that I lived by for so many months here in Taiwan... "ting bu dong" means "I don't understand" and I learned it long before I even left Canada (knowing that it would be handy). This phrase has served me well for the past 8 months: wrong numbers (incoming and outgoing), annoying salespersons or even just letting someone know not to bother with me (in these cases I usually accompany it with an equally useless facial expression). For a while, the very fact that I could say this phrase and be understood allowed me to fool myself into thinking that I really was learning Chinese.

After many clueless months, "ting bu dong" is getting old and I find myself craving conversation with anyone and everyone. Grandma (the old woman who lives in our apartment and doesn't speak a word of English), the numerous 7/11 employees with whom I come into contact many times a day... even the street animals... I'm getting tired of walking into a store and having the employees freeze and run to get the "best English speaking Employee" to help me (even if that person happens to be the dish-washer or the garbage man). It's even to the point now where I'll settle for people thinking that I speak and understand Chinese. If I'm with a bilingual friend who is conversing with someone in Chinese I find myself nodding along with their conversation. It gets quite awkward when I throw in a laugh and realize soon afterwards that it doesn't fit the topic...

Luckily I've got some great English-speaking friends here who definitely lighten my language difficulties and allow for some great conversations. One thing is for sure, if I return to Taiwan after my travels (even if it's just for one year) I'll be studying Chinese!