Lost in Translation

Adjusting to a new place and culture has been interesting, for lack of a better word. Although, “interesting” is very fitting given some of the situations and people we’ve encountered.

Back when we first moved, it was a flurry of discovery. Learning new words, finding new places, smelling unfamiliar (and many times distasteful) smells. I couldn’t figure out how to navigate shopping sites yet and had to get several people to help me set up accounts. I remember being so excited when I first gained access to my taobao account. Then came the adjustment to understanding product descriptions and measurements. My American brain hasn’t fully adjusted to the metric system, so our measuring tape has become my faithful companion. I’ve ordered many items that turned out to be way smaller/shorter/wider than anticipated.

I always cringe when I see a phone call coming in. Sometimes it’s as easy as telling the delivery person that someone is home or to drop off a package at the leasing office. Other times they just start talking and I have to stop them to say “什么? (what?)” or “不好意思，我听不懂。(I’m sorry, I don’t understand [what you’re saying].)” To which they either continue speaking or retort with “你听不懂吗？(You don’t understand??)” I then explain that I’m a foreigner. Some astute people will then speak slower and repeat key phrases. Others will just continue to talk and end with “可以吗？(Is this ok?)” I usually have no choice but to say ok and then try to process after the fact. Thankfully, there’s a chat feature that I use often. My reading comprehension is much better than my listening comprehension, so I usually end up asking follow-up questions. In desperate situations, I have a friend call to ask for clarification. 90% of the time, I end up with what I wanted/needed/ordered. The other 10% of the time, I end up with a box of pieces and screws, a random delivery fee, a rather unhelpful instruction manual, and a lot of frustration.

A “how-to” manual that is literally just pictures of what the bookshelf should look like. There was a bunch of wood pieces and a bag full of screws.

Now that we’ve lived here for a year, I feel more confident being able to at least get by. Day-to-day tasks have gotten easier and giving basic directions to drivers has gotten slightly easier. But still many things get lost in translation. I remember a specific instance when our teacher asked us about how we wash blankets (被子，bèizi)  in the states. I proceeded to offer an explanation and she seemed a little confused, probably because I was explaining how we have dishwashers we can use to wash cups (杯子，bēizi). Distinction of tones makes learning the language that much more challenging. You have to be very keen on listening for context and figuring it out from there. I have such a long way to go.

Aside from daily productivity and conversation, I realize there are other areas of life that translate differently here. People are very open to becoming friends here. As a person who is not that trusting, it’s hard to discern when someone genuinely wants to befriend you or is trying to use you for something. A real estate agent in our complex recently struck up a conversation with me because she heard me speaking English. She seems genuinely interested in finding people to converse with and to help her progress in her language skills, but I can’t help but wonder if she has ulterior motives. I’m hoping to make the most of this opportunity and am hoping that I’ll be able to meet with her on her day off. I asked her some questions about her beliefs and she was eager to learn more about what I believe. Her grasp of English isn’t that strong, so I’m hoping to be able to bring along a friend who can speak clearly and help answer questions. I’m hoping this relationship is fruitful or, in the least, that I’ll be able to plant seeds.

There’s a tendency for me to feel completely lost here. Amidst the lack of understanding and trying to figure out how best to live life here, it’s difficult to wrap my mind around our future and what that will look like. As a stay-at-home mom, a lot of my mental energy goes into taking care of our family. Unsurprisingly, that leaves little room to even think about min work outside of the home. When I have time to think, I stop to ask myself “What are you doing?” It’s sobering at times. I want to get to the point where I feel like I’m not just surviving — will I ever get there? This forces me to turn back to the age old truth in Prov. 3:5-6; to trust in him with all my heart, not rely on my own understanding, acknowledge him in all things, and he will direct my path. I want to have a consistent sense of peace knowing that the one who is in control has a good and perfect plan. Even if things seem out-of-sorts now, I want to trust that there is a purpose in the chaos. I’m thankful that I can have blessed assurance in him, knowing that his ways and plans are perfect and that he will see us through to the end. Things that seem so overwhelming now are made and will be made small in the light of him.

We’re thankful for…

• Opportunities to share
• Discovery of semi-authentic western food restaurants
• Willingness of people to serve and love us

Some things we miss…

• Large shoe and clothing sizes (Alex)
• Singing with BCC praise team (Jen)
• Safe, clean places to run around (Haddon)