Language is a Bridge Not a Barrier

Well, here I am in YVR airport getting ready for my flight to Shanghai. As with every overseas trip, I have a set ritual before boarding my 10 hour plus flight.

1. Peruse the duty free merchandise hoping to find a deal and then walking out empty handed because I know I can find it for cheaper.
2. Order a burger and fries and admire the larger than life Native Art in the terminal.
3. Buy the biggest coldest bottle of water I can find.
4. Pick up a bag of sour Rainbow coloured Skittles.
5. Review my phrase book of popular Mandarin phrases.

Considering the amount of times I have been to China, most would think I would have a pretty good control of the language. Well, I don't. Unfortunately, foreign languages is something I have always struggled with. So my work around it is to load up my Blackberry with an audible Chinese dictionary and phrase book. It allows me to roam the streets of China carefree knowing that if I find myself in a jam, I always have my dictionary handy.

As a tourist in China, here are some of my favourite phrases that I have also been able to commit to memory.

1. Ni hao (knee how) - Hello! If you must learn one expression this is the one to know. On the flip side, hello is also one of the few words the local vendors know.

2. Xie xie (shay-shay) - Thanks! As Canadians, this is another must word for us.

3. Pi jiu (peejo) - Beer. Chinese beer has little alcohol so ordering a beer or two is refreshing but not intoxicating. Have too many peejos and you might be asking for the...

4. Ce suo (che sow) - The happy room aka the toilet. If you have a small bladder you may want to ask this question ahead of time as some bathrooms are quite far from where you are eating.

5. Wo jie hun le (wo gee hu-when la) - When a pretty lady asks you if you would like massagee (not a massage) Quickly state this phrase, point at your wedding band and quickly walk away. If you are not married or interested you could always use the other phrase...

6. Tai gui le (tai gwey la) - Too expensive. Be careful though as this this can sometimes backfire as you may now find yourself in a bidding war over a massagee you do not really want.

Zai jian! (Goodbye)

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations