Da Shan

[Mengxin]

I watched this one white lady recite a chinese tongue twister/poem that lasted abiout 3 or 4 minutes. it was amazing. lao po said she got it all right too. I wish my chinese were better. It will be when she gets here.

 

Sometimes when we talk i speak to her in chinese and replys in english. it's funny.

 

It always ends ... Ni qui la, wo qui la.

 

A year ago someone said to mention the phrase.

" mei li lao po. " Thankyou to whoever said to say that.

Only thing that I hate about learning the language is that as soon as you break out that you know a little bit, people will just rattle away at me like I can understand them. I reply "dui bu chi" " bu za dao" "wo way swa pu ton gua, e tien tien"

[frank1538]

Only thing that I hate about learning the language is that as soon as you break out that you know a little bit, people will just rattle away at me like I can understand them. I reply "dui bu chi" " bu za dao" "wo way swa pu ton gua, e tien tien"

That's my problem too. While Jingwen and I can converse in my version of putonghua, if I try it at a restaurant, I'm liable to be sitting there with a dumb expression on my face when the waiter or owner starts speaking.

 

I was always told that it was better to speak the language fast than to speak it correctly. That way, if someone doesn't understand you, you can chalk it up to differing dialects...like "lao gong hua".

[beijingjenny]

I more often find it's the waitresses who give me dumb looks. Even though what I said is perfectly understandable, they look at Jack, because they couldn't possibly understand a foreigner speaking Chinese... But then, some are very helpful, even if I'm not making any sense.

[Mengxin]

I think it catches people off gaurd when they see forieners speaking chinese. Not the pronounciation or speed as much as the shock factor is the main reason people ask you to repeat.

 

you agree?

[frank1538]

I more often find it's the waitresses who give me dumb looks. Even though what I said is perfectly understandable, they look at Jack, because they couldn't possibly understand a foreigner speaking Chinese... But then, some are very helpful, even if I'm not making any sense.

You've got my vote should you ever want to replace Da Shan.

[awch]

I more often find it's the waitresses who give me dumb looks. Even though what I said is perfectly understandable, they look at Jack, because they couldn't possibly understand a foreigner speaking Chinese... But then, some are very helpful, even if I'm not making any sense.

Exact same experience here.

[Dan R]

I more often find it's the waitresses who give me dumb looks. Even though what I said is perfectly understandable, they look at Jack, because they couldn't possibly understand a foreigner speaking Chinese... But then, some are very helpful, even if I'm not making any sense.

Exact same experience here.

I find these comments very amusing because it reminds me of my experiences in Japan. Ok so perhaps my grammer wasn't the best but they still should not have thought I was speaking English. I would ask for something in a store and be answered with "No speak English". I'd respond "But I'm speaking Japanese, not English". They would just repeat "No speak English". Once in awhile another clerk would come over laughing saying "But he is speaking Japanese" and take over for the other one. I found that if I started out by saying in Japanese "relax don't worry about your English, I speak Japanese" it would sink in more rather than just getting the automatic response.

 

Once I was in Tokyo with a Japanese Canadian. She didn't speak Japanese. I was translating for her and still shopkeepers would ignore me and talk to her. They would even say after some words were exchanged, "if he buys something I can give you a commission." It can be funny but also frustrating.

 

Last night (China morning) while talking to my SO, I asked about Da Shan. She had seen him on TV but wasn't too impressed. She commented on his accent and then apparently realized that I too might someday speak Chinese.

This was a break through. She has always reacted to my wanting to learn Chinese with "You don't have to, I speak English". This time she realized it as a possibility. I have always said I want to be able to join in on family conversations. She has always said that it isn't so important. I think this was a cover up for doubting the possibility. Now she thinks I can and that it is a good idea. All from mentioning this CFL thread on Da Shan.

 

THANK YOU DA SHAN!

 

THANK YOU CFL!

[awch]

Dan- also have had the same experience where I'm speaking Chinese and someone will come out in broken English- no speak english.

 

It's so embaressing for me, I'm like... my Chinese is THAT bad!!??

 

[NY-Viking]

Dan and Amber -

 

You've reminded me of some funny conversations I've had with waitresses, but most memorably with a Buddhist nun in Ruili, Yunnan. I was visiting a temple and wanted to ask a few questions about it. My mandarin isn't perfect, but it's basically fluent. Anyway, I approached this nun who was sweeping up, and after I'd asked a question and she'd started to answer it, she then looked at me and said (in Chinese) she couldn't speak my language. I said but I'm speaking to you in Chinese. She said "yes, you can't speak my language and I can't speak yours." I said so you can't understand what I'm saying right now because I can't speak Chinese? She said yes, that's right, and then smiled and continued sweeping.

 

It's kind of funny the differences I had in Japan as opposed to China. In China, if you speak a few words, I've found Chinese people are generally impressed with that, but they don't think you could possibly say anything more than that. In Japan (just Tokyo, mind you), I found people generally anticipated I could speak Japanese, and then when I couldn't, it wasn't a big deal, and they tried to explain whatever in broken English. It was always pretty frustrating traveling with my SO or a Chinese (American Chinese, or Chinese native) in China when people would assume that they were my translator. As if the opposite couldn't possibly be true.

[NY-Viking]

The thing about Da Shan is his accent is just really, really good. I mean most Chinese people I know, if they just listen to him and don't see his face assume that he is Chinese.

 

I know a few other people with Chinese that good, but the only person I ever saw on tv that really impressed me with her language skill was this Russian woman living in Shanghai and married to a Shanghainese guy. She spoke Shainese like Da Shan speaks Mandarin. It was pretty cool.

[awch]

How did he GET so good? I mean, he didn't learn when he was a kid, did he??

 

I wish he'd share some of his secrets....

[sylinchinastill]

My husband told me that Da Shan went to China like 10 years ago or more- Hengli remembers when he was a kid Da Shan would be in parades and stuff like that. I guess he came over as a student and then went native and stayed.

[sawadee]

Da Shan marries a Chinese.

[awch]

Yes, I know he married a Chinese woman but that doesn't mean you can automatically speak the langauge! I wish....

 

 

Hmm.. so in ten years I'll be where he is??

 

He probably studied a lot harder than I do though.

 

 

In parades? They have parades here? My students never know what that is when we come across it in our textbooks....

[sylinchinastill]

I guess they did back in the day- before TV or something. Or maybe he said Da Shan rode around at festivals and I came up with parade.