lost in translation

So, did you ever consider that there are words that simply don't translate? There is no direct equivalent to communicate a concept in another language. Why is that? Probably because the word is so closely tied to that particular culture so that, outside its home culture the same idea would not make sense. Here are two examples that I use quite often:

guanxi - the idea of relationship that is extremely powerful in this culture. This type of relationship can open doors that were previously closed. When you know someone, they can override the system in your favor. Or if you don't know someone, you can kiss your chances of anything happening goodbye. Who you know, not what you know.

cha bu duo - more or less, directly translated. But it actually stands in for a variety of ideas. You can use this phrase to communicate that somethings is kinda true, or almost the right amount, or probably about fixed. In my home culture, we value truth and facts. That exactly the right amount of food is in the container and the car mechanic did exactly the work we agreed upon. Here, things are more or less. You just kinda go with the flow. Don't make a fuss. Even this definition I would say is cha bu duo right. Ha. Proving that my mind no longer functions in exclusively Western norms and standards.  

I'll keep an eye out for some more examples. 

population overload

At a "small town" train station to get back to the city. When I get back to Wisconsin, I don't what I am going to do with all that... space!

pick your own meal

We visited a seaside village and they displayed the seafood roadside- to entice you to eat at their restaurant. Then, you could pick your feast, and bargain for it. We got a fish for half price once!

just plain funny

I saw this on our boat... and it needs to publicized as much as possible. There are lots of funny translations- masquerading- as-English out there, but this one is more than just a bad translation. It's just funny. 

This sign is part four in a serious of instructions for putting on a life jacket. At the end, if you have correctly followed the pictures- then- "all right!" 

my life is a public spectacle... and heres part of the reason why

Turns out, taking pictures is a cultural value. They love a good spectacle. And they love to document it. This new information makes me feel a little bit better about life here. I'm not as weird as I thought!

We took a boat ride in a seaside town last week. It took 5 minutes until someone approached me for a picture. Then, the entire ride was one funny photo op after another. The picture is the most amazing one. Our guys decided- why not form a human pyramid? That should fulfill the desire for spectacle- worthy pictures. Please note the crowd that gathered to watch and document. We dont know half of these people.

I realized the other day, I've got more exposure than Paris Hilton. There are SO many pictures of me floating around this country. I wonder what people do with the pictures of foreigners that they take? 

this and that

Here are some gender-related customs and/ or belief systems:

- in the West, we say lady first. In the East, they say man first, teacher first, elder first. (and if there is room- ladies)

- men look better as they get older, women look worse. so women need to take care how they age

- the woman's role is to be a wife. regardless of education and background. so, don't waste your time. (as told to one of my friends by a professor during a class lecture)

- girls who believe in reincarnation will refuse to get their ears pierced because that would disqualify them for being a boy in their next life

I think there are a lot of other belief systems I could include here, but instead, I just want to retell you all exactly what I heard expressed to me. This way, I can limit my own feelings about gender in this society. 

teacher told me so

Just so that you don't think I'm some crazy foreigner who ethnocentrically judges the socialist country to be wrongly inefficient for the purpose of job creation, I wanted to share that my teacher (who is local) agrees with me.

In class we learned the word for "elevator operator." Now, don't think bellhop at a swanky hotel. There is a elevator operator in my friend's apartment complex that is, to put it gently, a rundown building that would be condemned in America. It's also ridiculous because the elevators are so small you can barely fit 8 people in there. With the elevator operator, her chair, phone, and space heater- you knock out the possibility of at least 2 people (or 1 western-sized person).

I straight out asked her why elevator operators even exist, and she blatantly said, "They need a job." And laughed. yup. laughed. I'm so on with this one.