Tourist Countermeasures
My throat is sore…from pretending to be from Spain.
Yesterday I went to Tian’anmen via the subway and walked around for a few hours. No less than twenty times, testing the limits of my politeness, I had the following conversation:
“Hi! Hi! You speak English?”
“No, no hablo inglés.”
(Confused.) “You understand English? You speak French. Where you from? I’m student….Hola!” (Proceeds to try to sell me on retaining their tour guide services or visiting special art gallery.)
“No me entendí.” (Walking/looking other direction…Three other touts smell laowai [foreigner] in the water…Surrounded by faux friendliness…must…escape.)
I was caught in my lie at one point, though. I was in front of the National Museum, and I had hoped the touts had gone away already, but one in their group saw me reading the English near the ticket counter and laughed: “Hey, you don’t know English. You’re reading it!” “Una mentira,” sez I. (Attempting to stay in character, nevertheless smiling at being found out.)
Yesterday I went to Tian’anmen via the subway and walked around for a few hours. No less than twenty times, testing the limits of my politeness, I had the following conversation:
“Hi! Hi! You speak English?”
“No, no hablo inglés.”
(Confused.) “You understand English? You speak French. Where you from? I’m student….Hola!” (Proceeds to try to sell me on retaining their tour guide services or visiting special art gallery.)
“No me entendí.” (Walking/looking other direction…Three other touts smell laowai [foreigner] in the water…Surrounded by faux friendliness…must…escape.)
I was caught in my lie at one point, though. I was in front of the National Museum, and I had hoped the touts had gone away already, but one in their group saw me reading the English near the ticket counter and laughed: “Hey, you don’t know English. You’re reading it!” “Una mentira,” sez I. (Attempting to stay in character, nevertheless smiling at being found out.)
brainfart by Daniel at
4:15 AM
1 Comments:
Love the stories, especially how you've been forced to navigate (well, if I walk for 20 minutes this way...)
Don't know how I'd survive in such a place, but at least you've always got a clear view ahead of you (I imagine you stick out like a Hummer among Civics - I speak of height not girth).
Personally, I expected more from the "imperial" basketball court. Yao needs to reinvest in the homeland and hook them up with some courts.
Keep the pictures coming!
By
Umar, at 3/29/2006 4:14 PM
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