LMAO!
I was asking my students on our WeChat group (like a Group Chat) if they had class Monday night so we can schedule our exams.
D quickly replied “No, I have a party class.” 0_0
Party class? Say what!?! And I wasn’t invited? How rude!
The group erupted with 63+ Chinese-language messages in a matter of minutes as the class leader started with “What the HE** is a party class.” Another “ooh, class on how to dance.” “Let’s Party!” “Can I come?” “Do you get to drink?” Lots and lots of laughing pictures and emoticons.
At the same time a whole line of students with”I don’t think the teacher will understand.” “Oh, that’s a bad translation.” “The teacher is going to think you want to go party.” “This is very bad.” “You shouldn’t say that. You cannot trust translation my dear.” “Don’t you know to stop and check every three words? D replies again–“Oh, no! Now I think the teacher will misunderstand me!” (Horror Face).
At which point, the whole group started posting a series of Chinese phrases that have really bad English translations. Like “My father-in-law isn’t coming” which translates as “The father-in-law will not be coming to my bed.” It was bad 😛
My response: “Is that a class party? Party during class? Class about how to party?” This sounds fun and now I’m sad I wasn’t invited to the party lesson! 😦 😦 😦 ” LOL
Finally, one of them came back with a screen capture of the definition and translation in the Chinese-English dictionary of “Communist Party”–“It’s this one teacher, not a “party class” it’s THE Party class.” Ah! Makes Much More Sense. . . . And a much better reason for not being able to make the Exam on time! 😛
I was the only foreign teacher initially dressed up for St. Patrick’s Day today! Such a tragedy! I, looking so awesome, of course promptly shamed a couple people into going back and adding some green to their wardrobe. (ehm, Andre –better a late green than never). . .
Having class today, I asked my students if they knew what holiday it was. They didn’t (another great sorrow of my life), so I brought up pictures of the Parades for them to see and told them about the leprechauns and the green Chicago river. 🙂
I finished by letting them know that if they didn’t hurry home and add some green themselves, it was perfectly likely they might get some pinching. Their eyes went so wide. 0_0 It was hilarious. Made my day!
So happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
DIAPERS v. THE SQUAT & GO
Was sitting at the window in KFC (yes, thank God we have KFC here–our only Western restaurant in the area!) when I saw the funniest “cultural difference” on display.
Growing up, I frequently worked as a babysitter for children in the States. The little girls loved their dolls and treated them like real children. They dressed them, fed them bottles, rocked them, and–always funny–changed their diapers.
Well little girls in China are the same–sort of. This local girl was waiting with her mom at the bus stop and playing with her doll. She rocked the dolly, patted the dolly, played with its dress. But then, she proceeded sit the dolly in a crouch and teach it how to do its bathroom business out on the sidewalk.
That’s how children go to the bathroom here. The parents take them outside on the sidewalk, they drop trou, crouch, and do their stuff. The babies all have split pants (pants with large holes around the bottom-area), and they don’t even have to pull their pants down.
Once I though about it, of course that’s their version of changing diapers–it makes total sense! But it was still hilarious to watch. Seriously, she patted it, talked to it, helped straighten its dress when it was finished. Such a good mommy-to-be! But talk about cultural differences! 😛
“She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city” ~ Roman Payne
Language Translation
Deceptively Blonde 