Speaking Chinese

My knowledge of Chinese language is at the point where I am able to get almost any message across to whoever I am speaking to. Of course, there are thousands of words that I don't know, but "this," "what," "thing," "place," etc. combined with hand motions go a long way.

Since two weeks ago, I have been determined to only use Chinese. It's working very well. I rarely am unable to express myself and I see so much improvement with each conversation I have.

I love it so much more here now that I can talk to anyone and everyone. Sometimes I just go for a walk and talk to some of the street vendors. They have interesting stories and they love to hear about why I'm here and what it's like in America. Some of my friends are ready to go home, but I'm starting to enjoy it more and more now that I can successfully communicate. I thought I loved it before, so now everything is absolutely wonderful.

Before I came to China, my goal for learning Chinese was simply to study hard and do my best. I didn't expect to be able to speak half as well as I am able, let alone be able to write and recognize Chinese characters. (I am not able to speak well, and I'm not able to read much, don't get me wrong!) But now I have to reevaluate my goals, and it's confusing and stressful.

I am at the point where I know enough Chinese that it would be a waste to not continue to study the language. But at the same time, I still have two more years before I finish my degree in the states. Chinese language classes are not taught at my college, and during the school year I am too busy to take Chinese classes off campus.

I know there are ways to continue to study Chinese when I return, but it seems impractical. Also, what am I ever going to do with knowledge of the Chinese language? I'm studying journalism, and I'm happy studying journalism. Of course there are ways to combine the two, but is that what I want?

The Pick-Pocket

I encountered a pick-pocket today for the first time.

I have lived in China for over a month now, and I consider myself extremely lucky for having not had any issues with pick-pockets until now. When I first arrived in Lanzhou, everyone I met gave me helpful advice for me regarding various aspects of life here. And without fail, each person warned me of pick-pockets.

I have a small messenger bag and I wear the strap across my body. I always keep it in front of me and have one hand over the zipper. This afternoon I was walking down a wide, open street of fruit vendors when I felt a very light tug on the strap. A young teenager was trying to slowly unzip my bag without me noticing.

Pick-pockets like these have no intention of physically harming anyone. They become easily scared and run away, so I wasn't the least bit concerned. I actually had some fun.

As soon as I felt the tug, I put my hand on my bag and turned around. I stared at the kid for about 5 seconds, which I'm sure seemed like an eternity to him. He started to walk away and I held my glare. Everyone around me saw what happened. He couldn't take the embarrassment, so he ran away.

I felt victorious.

Forbidden Fruit

Because fruit and vegetables in China are grown in unsuitable water, westerners are not supposed to eat them raw. Supposedly, my body will get used to it over time and I will be able to eat uncooked produce in the future. I mentioned my friend Tracy in a previous post. She is also from America and has been in China for about seven months, so I asked her if she eats uncooked fruit and vegetables. She does and has had no problems. I decided to take my chances, and I ate a raw tomato with some rice one evening. I should mention that I had had no adverse reactions to any of the food in China until this point. And, all because of a tomato, I was sick for three days. I'm now wondering why I didn't enjoy a banana, apple, pineapple, pear, or other tempting fruit I walk past every day at the local markets. I now know how Adam and Eve felt.