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Q: So, how many times a day do you tell people where you are from and what your life story is?
How is that chopsticks thing coming along? Do you miss hamburgers? My, hasn't the recent growth of China's economy been rapid lately! And honestly now: do you think pandas are cute?
10 years 22 weeks ago in General - Other cities
I get so bored with the predictable questions asked at such regular intervals that i've taken to answering them in English. I used to intend to get a card made that I could just hand out when the questions started:
I'm from England.
I'm a Teacher.
Yes, i've been learning Chinese for years.
Yes, my wife is Chinese.
Yes, I like China.
Yes, I like Chinese food.
Seven inches.
No, you can't see it.
followed by:
how much do you earn?
how old are you?
when do you go home?
when do you get married?
Why do you have blue eyes?
Given the frequency with which this series of questions is repeated, someone needs to invent a Chinese word that encapsulates the whole thing.
One Chinese word (two or three characters would be fine) meaning "Where are you from? How long have you been in China? Can you speak Chinese? Do you like Chinese food?"
To which I could reply "Australia (yes it's a beautiful country), 3 years, somewhat, yes."
And perhaps another Chinese word for "Can you use chopsticks? Are you married? Why not?"
To which I could reply "Yes, no, because we have this thing called 'freedom'."
.
Multiply the cumulative time saved by the number of foreigners in China: the result is astronomical.
Or you could just refuse to answer. Does it really matter if you don't make many friends here? If you are planning on staying I suppose it does, but, most of us are not.
I detest people being this nosey within five seconds of meeting them and I will tell them it is none of their business.
But, then again, I am somewhat of a dick.
A lot. At least once a day. It can get tedious, but I'm okay with it.
Stock answers to oldies and kiddies: I am from Mars. I am 100 years old. I have 6 wives and 13 children around the globe. I am a teacher: I taught Kobe Bryant to play basketball and I taught Lionel Messi to play football. Any more questions?
The oldies grin and shake their heads, and the kiddies drop their jaw in disbelief and say: "Really?" And, of course, I say "Really!" Ha ha!
Love the innocence of children and the lightheartedness of the oldies.
Every time I get in a taxi. I actually took up MArtiAn's idea. I have it all answered on a piece of laminated paper. They do raise their eyebrows when they see my salary figure of 75,000 RMB a month and my age at 25 (grey beard and greying hair)!!
