Ryu2.mind

Greetings from Beijing! It's my sixth trip here, and it's definitely starting to feel like my second home -- and it's been great and spiritually refreshing being in my element again. My Mandarin is being put to good use, needless to say. But sometimes speaking it can be a disadvantage.

I was in Tiananmen Square, just snapping some candid shots -- having done the tourist thing long ago, when someone comes up to me, speaking in rapid fire Mandarin, and offering me a rickshaw tour of "old Beijing", the hutong, etc.

I understood him perfectly, but of course, I had no interest in his offer. I first tried telling him, "wo bu yao", and "wo dou qu guo le", but he had an response prepared for both. I quickly realized I should try to suspend my general modus operandi of not standing out as a foreigner in China, and instead, try to do just that.

Now, if I were Caucasian, I would just speak English to try to get him off my back. But that tactic wouldn't work for me, so I decided to try something else. My Korean, or lack thereof, to the rescue!

Despite having attended a Korean church and fellowship for most of my college career, and now currently attending a church with about 40% Korean still, I haven't really taken the initiative to seriously study the language of many of my friends.

The only Korean phrases I know are: "ahyoung hasaeyo", "nae", "anio", "chonun chunguk saram imnida", "hangukmal malhaeyo", and "tangshinrul saranhaeyo" (Contrary to any rumors that may be out there, I've not had need yet to use the last one... ;) )

I would like to, though, at some point... of course, my Mandarin and Japanese also beckon -- so many languages of interest, so little time. Still, even a little Korean proved useful.

"chonun HANGUK SARAM imnida. chungukmalul malhaeyo."

He speaks more slowly, but in Mandarin still. Good, apparently he can't speak Korean either, but he thinks I'm Korean, with a smattering of Mandarin ability. He emphasizes "ren li che" (rickshaw), and "jiu bei jing" (old Beijing)

"CHUNGUKMAL MOTHAEYO." I shake my head.

He is gesturing me to come. My useful Korean knowledge comes to an end at this point.

ANIO... ahnyoung ha sim ni ka! Tangshinrul saranhaeyo!

I start walking away, but he is persistent.

Then I turn to him, and start spouting gibberish. "chonun blah blah DAEHAN MINGUK blah blah sumida nonun KIMCHEE HYUNDAI DAEWOO SAMSUNG blah blah"

"BULBOGI BIBIMMAP blah blah INCHEON pilsung jusaeyo blah blah HA NAH NIM blah blah TAE KWON DO blah blah ROH MU HYUN blah blah KIM JONG IL blah blah!"

He gave up and left soon thereafter.

Sorry to my Korean friends for this egregious misappropriation of your elegant language ... =)