Language and communication…
Sep 26th, 2006 by Michael Max
… are not to be confused as the same thing.
I get it.
Every day.
With almost every conversation.
The question that always gets asked.
What country are you from?
It is the rare Chinese person that does not ask after the fountain of praise, from hearing 3 words of Chinese come out of my mouth.
I must hear this question at least 20 times a day. Everyday.
Of every week.
And this has been going on for years. It is just that I got a break from it for the past year in the States. And like an unresolved allergy. It is back with a vengeance in this new season.
“HELLO” with a big wave of the hand goes the young man with rotten teeth on the subway platform. I generally give these guys a wide sway, but I’m tired and the only seat on the platform is next to him. I figure pretending to not speak English with give me the buffer I seek.
“What country are you from”, is out of his garlic and tooth decayed mouth before I’m even sat down. Sigh…
“Sorry, I don’t understand you” I mumble through a marble filled mouthful of Beijing rrr’s.
He switches to Chinese to ask the question. Sigh…
“Look friend, I know you would like to make some foreign friends” He nods. “I’m going to tell you a secret that will help you to make lots of foreign friends. Are you interesting in hearing it?” He grins.
“Never, ever, at any time, ask a foreigner what country they come from. NEVER. Don’t do it. We hate it. We hear it everyday single day from every single person we meet. We don’t want to talk to you if you ask that question. Find a different question to ask.
Anything, just not that one.
OK? Understand?”
“Understand” he responds.
“So… what country do you come from?”
DOH!!!
Sometimes all you can do is walk away.