China: Don't Speak The Language :-)

I spent 60 days last year in China, going all the way from west to east, and
did very well with only "ni hao"and "she she nin." If you (or anyone else)
will send me a valid e-mail, I'll give details of books, web sites, etc. I
found very helpful.

Larry in Berkeley, California (seaotter 6 at a o l dot c o m)(no spaces in
address)

I have been three times without any problem.
But I consider very very important to have written in chinese the things
that you want to have or to see.
Lonely planet is very useful for this, and when in china ask to the people
that speak english to write for you what you need.

Remember: in China almost nobody speak english, but almost everybody is able
to read ....

have a nice trip

federicop
italy

"Jon Doe" <jon@doe.com> wrote in message
news:IvVNa.3455201$YZ.515084@news.easynews.com...
> Hi!
>
> I just signed up for a trip to China yesterday but now i'm kinda
> regretting it since I don't speak a word of the language (well, OK, i've
> got "Ni Hou" under my belt). Does anyone else have any experience of
> going to China without speaking any Chinese?

The first time I went to China I only knew three phrases:

Ni hao - "Hello"
Xiexie - "Thank you"
Pijiu - "Beer"

The second time I went to China I could speak Chinese quite fluently.

In neither trip did I experience any serious communication problems. In most
tourist places you will find some people who can speak English.

--
Chris

I have been to China several times and rarely encountered problems not
knowing the language. Some English is spoken in every major city,
especially in around the tourist areas. My problem has been resolved for
future visits. I married a beautiful Chinese woman, who speaks Mandarin,
Cantonese, Vietnamese, and English. I particularly enjoyed my visit to
Guangxi province, where I spent a week between Guilin and Yangshuo. If you
have a chance to visit Yangshuo, you will understand why the Chinese
consider this place one of the most beautiful places in the country.

rg



"Jon Doe" <jon@doe.com> wrote in message
news:IvVNa.3455201$YZ.515084@news.easynews.com...
> Hi!
>
> I just signed up for a trip to China yesterday but now i'm kinda
> regretting it since I don't speak a word of the language (well, OK, i've
> got "Ni Hou" under my belt). Does anyone else have any experience of
> going to China without speaking any Chinese? How did you cope? I'm
> worried about the most simple things in life like being able to check
> into a hotel room and being able to order food :-) If anyone has any
> suggestions, i'd *love* to hear them :)
>
> Cheers,
> Holden
>

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 09:09:04 +0000, alohacyberian wrote:
>
> Communists are frequently ashamed to admit that they are Communists and also
> ashamed to admit they travel the world to spread propaganda for a dismally
> failed economic ideology that they vainly keep hoping will be exhumed from
> the trashbin of history. People in newsgroups aren't quite so gullible as
> totally illiterate paupers in third world countries or party apparatchiks in
> Communist places he praises, like Mongolia, Cuba and Vietnam. KM

Good morning, Mr. McCarthy.

"Tarapia Tapioco" <comesefosse@ntani.firenze.linux.it> wrote in message
news:c5461cf53c0e86705013577d6a2ee825@firenze.linu x.it...
"Sjoerd" <sjoerdhahahaha@xs4all.nl> wrote:

>None of your business. :-)
>
>Sjoerd

>Well that is the standard Sjoerd nasty reply,

Maybe he shouldn't have included that little smiley there. That was pretty
nasty alright.

Henk wrote:

> I own such a book. It is called "point it, traveller's language kit"
> ISBN 3980313026.
> Available in Europe, e.g. amazon.co.uk or ako.nl
> (I used it in China too)

Thanks for the tip. I checked Amazon USA for availability, and they have one
used for $125.72 (!). We wonder how, after the $125 gouging, the seller arrived
at 72 cents. A handy little book like this should be in wider distribution.

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 12:20:08 -0700, EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque) wrote:

>
>
> Miguel Cruz wrote:
>>
>> Tarapia Tapioco <comesefosse@ntani.firenze.linux.it> wrote:
>> > Whatever it is he does for a living, he's obviously ashamed of it. If it
>> > was something glamorous or prestigious, you can be sure he would remind us
>> > of it every chance he gets.
>>
>> It is flat-out none of anyone's business unless he chooses to share it.
>> Until the day that every other person in this newsgroup as a matter of
>> course freely shares biographical data, it is absurd to draw any sort of
>> conclusion from the fact that he hasn't.
>
> And what guarantee is there that anyone who DOES "share biographical
> data" is not creating fiction? Does anyone with even half a functioning
> brain really think that what people post here about themselves is
> neccessarily true?

Wonderful idea. Thanks a lot.

:-)

Keith Anderson <keithanderson@bsuk.fsbusiness.co.uk> wrote:

>On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 12:20:08 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
><evgmsop@> wrote:
>
>>And what guarantee is there that anyone who DOES "share biographical
>>data" is not creating fiction? Does anyone with even half a functioning
>>brain really think that what people post here about themselves is
>>neccessarily true?
>
>You mean that story about Mxsmanic being abducted by aliens who
>tampered with his brain ISN'T TRUE? You mean he still has a fully
>functioning human brain?
>
The first can be untrue without the second being true. Mx is an alien.

>How can I ever believe a word of anything anyone says on this
>newsgroup again?
>
Simple: ask me what is true and what is not.

PB

mnc@admin.u.nu (Miguel Cruz) wrote:

>Padraig Breathnach <padraigb@iol.ie> wrote:
>>> How can I ever believe a word of anything anyone says on this
>>> newsgroup again?
>>
>> Simple: ask me what is true and what is not.
>
>Okay: What is true and what is not?
>
All those things to the left of me are true; everything else is false.

PB