Originally Posted by Jamoldo
Ditto with the Chinese, except no one speaks English here. For a country in which people are running about and never queue (line) up, the Chinese, in most of my experiences, have an incredible amount of patience for foreigners trying to speak their language. They are convinced that Mandarin is one of the most difficult languages to learn and learn well (a huge source of pride, along with their history and culture). They'll stand there and say numerous things to help you understand what's going on, and if you begin to play charades to show them waht you mean (I really have no shame when it comes to this), they'll play along and try to help you out. It's very encouraging, and it's made me hate hearing the phrase, "We're in America, speak English!"
English is a tough tough language...
So yes, when in Rome, I try to do as Romans do...
Reminds me of the boba tea shop we go to near our office. One of my co-workers (not Chinese) had just come back from working in Taiwan and the shopkeeper lit up like a beacon when he addressed her with his limited vocabulary. Another friend and I went to the shop one day and she immediately asked, "Where's my Chinese friend?"
I feel somewhat intimidated talking to a native speaker, so I usually clam up other than greetings, thank you and please. When I can, I try to do as the locals would do, although in Tokyo last month, I had to wonder if my co-workers thought I was being rude in the noodle shop for slurping the noodles!
