I　ｗａｓ　ｃｈａｔｔｉｎｇ　ａｗａｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄｌｙ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｆｏｌｋ　ｔｏｄａｙ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｌｕｎｃｈ．　Ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｙａｋｋｉｎｇ　ａｗａｙ　ｉｎ　ｒａｐｉｄ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ．　Ｉ　ｓｗｅａｒ　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｍｏｕｔｈｓ　ｗｅｒｅ　ｎｅａｒｌｙ　ｅｘｐｌｏｄｉｎｇ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐｅｅｄ．　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｔｈｅｒｅ，　ｔｏｏ，　ｙａｒｎｉｎｇ　ｏｎ　ｉｎ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ．　
Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗａｓ　ｎｏ　ｃｏｍｐｒｅｈｅｎｓｉｏｎ．　Ｎｏｔｈｉｎｇ．　
Ｙｅｔ　ｗｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａｌｌ　ｌａｕｇｈｉｎｇ　ａｗａｙ　ａｎｄ　ｈａｖｉｎｇ　ａ　ｆａｂｕｌｏｕｓ　ｔｉｍｅ．
Ｉｔｓ　ｅｘｔｒｅｍｅｌｙ　ｌｉｂｅｒａｔｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｗｏｎｄｅｒ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ａ　ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｎｏ　ｉｄｅａ　ｗｈａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｏｒ　ｓｉｇｎｓ　ｏｒ　ｖｏｉｃｅｓ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｒａｉｌｗａｙ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎｓ　ａｒｅ　ｔｅｌｌｉｎｇ　ｙｏｕ．　
Ｓｉｎｃｅ　ｒｅａｌｉｓｉｎｇ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｍａｎｄａｒｉｎ　ｉｓ　ｅｘｃｅｐｔｉｏｎａｌｌｙ　ｄｉｆｆｉｃｕｌｔ　ｔｏ　ｇｒａｓｐ，　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｌｏｏｓｅｎｅｄ　ｕｐ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ　ｂａｒｒｉｅｒ．　Ｉ　ｂｌｕｎｄｅｒ　ａｌｏｎｇ，　ｔｒｙｉｎｇ　ｕｎｓｕｃｃｅｓｓｆｕｌｌｙ　ｔｏ　ｍａｋｅ　ｍｙｓｅｌｆ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｏｄ．　Ｍｏｓｔｌｙ　Ｉ　ｔｒｅａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒｓ　ａｓ　Ｉ　ｄｏ　ｉｎ　Ａｕｓｔｒａｌｉａ，　ｔｈｅｙｒｅ　ｂｅｓｔ　ｉｇｎｏｒｅｄ．　Ｉｔｓ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｅｌｆ−ｅｓｔｅｅｍ．
Ｗｈａｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｒｕｌｙ　ｆａｎｔａｓｔｉｃ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇ　ｎｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ　ｉｓ　ｈｏｗ　ｅｆｆｅｃｔｉｖｅ　ｓｉｇｎ　ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ　ｂｅｃｏｍｅｓ．　Ｉ　ｃａｎ　ｓｕｃｃｅｓｓｆｕｌｌｙ　ｍｉｍｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｅａｓｙ　ｓｔｕｆｆ，　ｓｕｃｈ　ａｓ　ｗｈａｔ　ｉｓ　ｙｏｕｒ　ｊｏｂ，　ｐｌｕｓ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｍｏｒｅ　ａｄｖａｎｃｅｄ　ｍｉｍｅｓ，　ｓｕｃｈ　ａｓ　ｗｈａｔ　ｂｒｅｅｄ　ｏｆ　ｐｉｄｇｅｏｎ　ａｒｅ　ｗｅ　ｅａｔｉｎｇ．　Ａｓｋｉｎｇ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｐｈｏｔｏ　ｏｆ　ｍｅ　ｉｓ　ｅａｓｉｅｒ　ｔｈａｎ　ｐｌａｙｉｎｇ　ｉｎ　ｍｕｄ．
Ｂｕｔ　ｎｏｔ　ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ　ｃａｎ　ａｇｒｅｅ　ｏｎ　ｗｈａｔ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｅｓｔ　ｗａｙ　ｔｏ　ａｓｋ　ｓｏｍｅｏｎｅ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｂｏｕｇｈｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｇｏｏｄ−ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ　ｎｏｏｄｌｅｓ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｒｕｎ　ｉｎｔｏ　ａ　ｆｅｗ　ｉｓｓｕｅｓ．
Ｔｏｄａｙ，　ｆｏｒ　ｉｎｓｔａｎｃｅ，　ａｓ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｃｈａｔｔｉｎｇ　ａｗａｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｒｉｅｎｄｌｙ　ｒｅｓｔａｕｒａｎｔｅｕｒ，　Ｉ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｏｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｄ　ｈｏｗ　（ｇｏｏｄ）　ｏｎｌｙ．　And I’m fairly certain they only knew hello.　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｆｉｎｅ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈａｔ,　ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｉｃｅ　ｍａｎ　ｗａｓ　ｇｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ａ　ｂｉｔ　ｆｒｕｓｔｒａｔｅｄ．　Ｈｅ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｗａｎｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｄｉｄ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　crust．　Ｓｏ，　ｔｏ　ｍａｋｅ　ｉｔ　ｅａｓｙ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｅ，　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｌｌｙ　Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ　ｇｉｒｌ　ｗｈｏ　ｃａｎｎｏｔ　ｓｐｅａｋ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ，　ｈｅ　ｓａｙｓ　ｈｅｌｌ　ｗｒｉｔｅ　ｉｔ　ｄｏｗｎ．
Ｗｅｌｌ，　ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ｊｕｓｔ　ｇｒｅａｔ，　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ，　ａｓ　ｈｅ　ｂｅｇｉｎｓ　ｓｐｅｗｉｎｇ　Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ　ｓｙｍｂｏｌｓ　ｏｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｐａｇｅ．　Ｉｔｄ　ｂｅ　ｅａｓｉｅｒ　ｔｏ　ｃｏｍｐｒｅｈｅｎｄ　ｐｈｙｓｉｃｓ．
Ｉｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　ｆｏｒ　ｆｏｕｒ　ｄａｙｓ　ｎｏｗ　ａｎｄ，　ｆｒａｎｋｌｙ，　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｆｌｕｅｎｔ　ｂｙ　ｎｏｗ．　Ｉｌｌ　ｋｅｅｐ　ｔｒｙｉｎｇ．
Ａｎｄ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｅａｎｔｉｍｅ,　Ｉｌｌ　ｋｅｅｐ　ｗａｎｄｅｒｉｎｇ　ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ　ｃｏｕｎｔｒｙ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｏｎｌｙ　ｍｙ　ｓｍｉｌｅ　ａｓ　ａ　ｃｏｍｍｕｎｉｃａｔｉｏｎ　ｔｏｏｌ．　Ｉ　ｆｅｅｌ　ｖｕｌｎｅｒａｂｌｅ. Bｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｅｓｔ　ｐａｒｔ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｔｕａｔｉｏｎ　ｉｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｃｋ　ｏｆ　ｅｘｐｅｃｔａｔｉｏｎｓ．　Ｉ　ｎｅｖｅｒ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｗｈａｔｓ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｒｎｅｒ.
Ｉ　ｗｅｎｔ　ｆｏｒ　ａ　ｓｔｒｏｌｌ　ｔｏｄａｙ　ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ　ａ　ｒａｎｄｏｍ　ｐａｒｋ　ａｎｄ　ｅｎｄｅｄ　ｕｐ　ｆｉｎｄｉｎｇ　ａ　ｚｏｏ．Ｈｕｈ？ It had a bear and deer and peacocks and one very cranky monkey.　I was just expecting trees. Ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　Ｉ　ｆｏｕｎｄ　a　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ　ｈｅｒｉｔａｇｅ　ｂｒｉｄｇｅ.
Ｓｏ，　ｔｈｅ　ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ　ｂａｒｒｉｅｒ，　ｉｔ　ａｉｎｔ　ｓｏ　ｂａｄ，　Ｉ　ｒｅｃｋｏｎ．