Sometimes China just doesn't get me. Language being the obvious, it can be challenging. Anwer is roaming around speaking at a near fluent level now. So, it's basically like being in India where he can speak Hindi, except worse because very few speak English in China. In India, I could around a lot easier with English and smiles. Here I have English and smiles, but I get blank stares in return.
China does not get food allergies or food restrictions. Anwer and I do not eat pork. China loves pork. It's likely that everything we order has traces of pork. Even with Anwer's Mandarin speaking skills, we often get pork in our dishes. Recently, we were at an American themed diner in Suzhou. I tried to order a breakfast combo and sub out the pork sausage for salmon. Lots of charades and description, the waiter said, "Ok, I understand." Except, I still got pork sausage.
There's an amazing grocery super center called Auchan that I frequent for its low prices. Picture Walmart during the holidays but everyday. I've seen managers in one Auchan wearing rollerblades on the weekend because they are constantly being "called" and by called, I mean shouted at from one of the 100+ checkout lines. Efficient. Going to Auchan is like going to war. Perhaps necessary, but no good outcome is possible. Life is lost no matter what you do. You get to the checkout and realize with dread that something you wanted to buy doesn't have a barcode. At this point, you have no choice but to leave it. To lose your spot in a line that is four or more shopping carts deep to weave through aisles of chaos to find that item is not worth it. To have a manager rollerblade over and try to call someone in that department while the four+ shopping carts with toddlers pulling stuff off the shelves behind you is not worth it.
I ordered a ginger lemon tea at a bakery/sandwich shop. I tried to ask the girl if I could get some honey on the side or with it. (We were speaking entirely in English for this conversation.) She couldn't understand me. I do not know the Chinese word for honey. So I said, a ginger lemon tea is fine. When I went to get some hot water to top off my ginger lemon tea at the same bakery, the guy who was serving asked me, "Do you want some honey?" YES! I would love some honey.
And this is what my life in Suzhou is like. Honey. No honey.
China does not get food allergies or food restrictions. Anwer and I do not eat pork. China loves pork. It's likely that everything we order has traces of pork. Even with Anwer's Mandarin speaking skills, we often get pork in our dishes. Recently, we were at an American themed diner in Suzhou. I tried to order a breakfast combo and sub out the pork sausage for salmon. Lots of charades and description, the waiter said, "Ok, I understand." Except, I still got pork sausage.
There's an amazing grocery super center called Auchan that I frequent for its low prices. Picture Walmart during the holidays but everyday. I've seen managers in one Auchan wearing rollerblades on the weekend because they are constantly being "called" and by called, I mean shouted at from one of the 100+ checkout lines. Efficient. Going to Auchan is like going to war. Perhaps necessary, but no good outcome is possible. Life is lost no matter what you do. You get to the checkout and realize with dread that something you wanted to buy doesn't have a barcode. At this point, you have no choice but to leave it. To lose your spot in a line that is four or more shopping carts deep to weave through aisles of chaos to find that item is not worth it. To have a manager rollerblade over and try to call someone in that department while the four+ shopping carts with toddlers pulling stuff off the shelves behind you is not worth it.
I ordered a ginger lemon tea at a bakery/sandwich shop. I tried to ask the girl if I could get some honey on the side or with it. (We were speaking entirely in English for this conversation.) She couldn't understand me. I do not know the Chinese word for honey. So I said, a ginger lemon tea is fine. When I went to get some hot water to top off my ginger lemon tea at the same bakery, the guy who was serving asked me, "Do you want some honey?" YES! I would love some honey.
And this is what my life in Suzhou is like. Honey. No honey.
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