Over the past few weeks the city has been awash with beautiful red lanterns and an abundance of red and gold cow paraphernalia. China has been ramping itself up for their New Year and it has been hard to miss the importance of this event for this nation.
The New Year has now been welcomed in, the rat has been said goodbye to and today is the first official day in the year of the ox. A new era is upon us and while the rat is clever and quick, the ox is industrious and straight forward. This, the second sign of the Chinese zodiac, signifies new beginnings as well as prosperity through fortitude and hard work.
It all seems to be quite appropriate in these troubled times of a global financial crisis. If we knuckle down and muck in, we should get through this… or that seems to be the hope anyway. In any case, I am glad that we have extra help from the stars. Am glad to see the year of the Ox finally upon us, but I will miss all those lanterns and the big bronze cow statues that dot the streets and malls of Shanghai.
My Chinese lesson of the day is: 牛 niú - which means ox.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Ready, steady, go!
Moving to China in September I was full of trepidation, of course, but mainly filled with glee. Not only was I getting the chance to start over, to flee a life I had single-handedly managed to unravel, to start a dream job and experience a great adventure, but I was getting a chance to learn a new language and a whole new culture and way of being.
Mandarin - not just any old language exactly, but the language which has the most native speakers of any language in the world. A language spoken in a country steeped in history and culture; a country opening up to the world and full of promise. China. All I wanted to say was “wow”.
How exciting it all was. How lucky I felt. How I bounded off that jet that had transported me from Europe as if the world had been handed to me on a plate. I had lived in several countries, could speak a few languages and generally considered myself to be quite cultured. I’d be up to speed in no time and was going to take to things like the proverbial [Peking] duck to water.
Four months on and I was sitting having dinner in Shanghai, which is incidentally where I live now. I can definitely say that. I have settled in quite nicely; can get myself about town, have a great group of friends and know all the best shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. It was a typical Shanghai evening. Naturally I was at a perfect little restaurant, the company equally so. The conversation was flowing, the wine was flowing, I was having a good time and then he asked the dreaded question… “So, how’s your Chinese coming along?”
It was at that point that I realised that not one of my hopes or dreams for my lessons in China had come true. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. I felt my cheeks flush, and it wasn’t the wine! I was mortified. The girl who always speaks the language… couldn’t. What was worse; I hadn’t even tried. Time had slipped through my hands with long working days and even longer evenings out on the town as my only excuse. I knew nothing of the culture and knew nothing of the language.
My very essence was shaken. There’s nothing like a cold, harsh dose of pride to do that to you. Something had to be done and being the pragmatic (and competitive, stubborn, arrogant, lofty and determined) young lady that I am I duly took myself off and finally started learning Chinese.
I can sit here today and gloat a little. One lesson down and I can not only count, but know my days of the week and simple greetings. I will sleep easy tonight and no longer feel ashamed to be here and not tapping into the huge potential this country has to give me.
With this very first post on this blog, my Chinese lesson of the day is:
一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān – which means one, two, three…
Mandarin - not just any old language exactly, but the language which has the most native speakers of any language in the world. A language spoken in a country steeped in history and culture; a country opening up to the world and full of promise. China. All I wanted to say was “wow”.
How exciting it all was. How lucky I felt. How I bounded off that jet that had transported me from Europe as if the world had been handed to me on a plate. I had lived in several countries, could speak a few languages and generally considered myself to be quite cultured. I’d be up to speed in no time and was going to take to things like the proverbial [Peking] duck to water.
Four months on and I was sitting having dinner in Shanghai, which is incidentally where I live now. I can definitely say that. I have settled in quite nicely; can get myself about town, have a great group of friends and know all the best shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. It was a typical Shanghai evening. Naturally I was at a perfect little restaurant, the company equally so. The conversation was flowing, the wine was flowing, I was having a good time and then he asked the dreaded question… “So, how’s your Chinese coming along?”
It was at that point that I realised that not one of my hopes or dreams for my lessons in China had come true. It hit me like a tonne of bricks. I felt my cheeks flush, and it wasn’t the wine! I was mortified. The girl who always speaks the language… couldn’t. What was worse; I hadn’t even tried. Time had slipped through my hands with long working days and even longer evenings out on the town as my only excuse. I knew nothing of the culture and knew nothing of the language.
My very essence was shaken. There’s nothing like a cold, harsh dose of pride to do that to you. Something had to be done and being the pragmatic (and competitive, stubborn, arrogant, lofty and determined) young lady that I am I duly took myself off and finally started learning Chinese.
I can sit here today and gloat a little. One lesson down and I can not only count, but know my days of the week and simple greetings. I will sleep easy tonight and no longer feel ashamed to be here and not tapping into the huge potential this country has to give me.
With this very first post on this blog, my Chinese lesson of the day is:
一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān – which means one, two, three…
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
