Small Victories

Sometimes you just need a lucky break.

As part of my preparations to leave little Lanshan and travel as efficiently as possible during the summer I decided to post home as much of my stuff - books, winter clothes etc. - as possible. I asked round in town, Susan's post-office employed sister made some calls and looked into the possibility that we could send things directly from here for once, but nothing came of it. It couldn't be done.

There was no other option left but to go elsewhere for this service. The nearest 'elsewhere' was Chenzhou, about 2 hours away by bus. I had little option as to when. This weekend was the only convenient time. Anticipating language difficulties I asked our friends Seven and her visiting classmate if they fancied a day out to Chenzhou. They didn't. Seven's classmate wanted to do it another day, but I had classes all week, and classes that couldn't be moved due to all the exams going on right now. I didn't have anyone else here I could call on to help me out, but I couldn't postpone either. I decided that I'd just have to go and do it myself.

So Friday night I packed. I realised I would probably have to call someone once I got to the post office to translate for me, but I'd have to find it first, and then would the post office even be able to send all this stuff to England? Would it be open? In Lanshan the post office is always open, but the Lanshan post office is also the kind of place where Susan and I have been left behind the counter to look after things, being nosy around all the parcels while her sister popped out for a bit. Not sure Chenzhou is as easygoing. Getting on the bus the next morning I had visions of ending up in Guangzhou. I'd get this thing sent if it killed me, and I had half an idea that it would.

My worries were totally unfounded. I had one of my proudest moments in Chenzhou today.

Straight off the bus I got into a taxi told him in Chinese to go to the 'biggest post office'. The driver was a friendly chap and we soon got chatting. Great start. Any time I get to chat to someone in Chinese whose dialect I can actually understand is a bonus. I think in the past I have really underestimated just how strong Lanshan's dialect is. The more Chinese I have learnt, the more I have realised that I should be understanding at least some of what's going on round here. That's not been the case.

The most dramatic illustration of this came about a few weeks ago when Seven's classmate came to stay with her. She'd been working in better-off Zhejiang Province and when she first arrived spoke pure Putonghua (Standard Chinese). One day she was with me when some students came up to ask me a question. Their English wasn't so great so Seven's classmate helped them out by asking what it was they wanted. She asked in Putonghua and the students responded in the same manner. It was like someone flicked on a switch. Suddenly I understood. I answered before she translated into English. Why doesn't everyone else speak like this?! My God, I could have talked to people!! All I get when people come up to me is 'mmummennnullennunumunemumel-aaah!, fumenle-aaah!, subusa-aaah! bummennelllugggenememefumulen-aaaah!'. Quickfire consonants with an aaaahh! added at the end of every exclamation. An 'exclamation' is the best way of describing how people's sentences sound here. Everyone sounds so angry and indignant. And if it's not me who's scared off by the initial engagement, it's everyone else who's too scared to talk to me, the strange foreigner.

No such inhibitions in Chenzhou though and I felt free to chat away as much as I could. It was great. Victory number one...

Upon arrival at the post office I walked over to a big desk, dumped down my bag and produced my well-rehearsed lines. No problem. The lady didn't even look fazed. She spoke no English either but an understanding was there. The concept was simple, and we didn't let the language barrier get in between us and getting the task done. I made no phone calls for help. No fumbling in my phrasebook. It was all done and dusted within half an hour and for just 800 yuan too. About a third cheaper than I'd estimated, equivalent to about 50 quid. Bargain. Victory number two...

One of the cleaners there fancied himself for a bit of a joker and began asking me questions. They soon turned to my height 'hao gao' (very tall/big) and then to something else that was 'hao gao'. He mentioned 'bizi', which I know to mean 'nose' - the size of which is something the Chinese commonly call Caucasians on. But he kept on talking about it, making the girls across the counter giggle. He held his fingers a certain distance apart on the counter top and it was at this small gesture that I realised 'bizi' could also refer to some other part of the anatomy.

I know white people are often taller and have bigger noses than the Chinese and have gotten used to comments along those lines. Although I had reasonable supporting evidence as to another certain size difference between the races thanks to the exploits of Sarah and Jess in Liuyang I really didn't expect it to be brought up right there in the middle of the post office!! I didn't know quite what to say, which is much harder not to say in Chinese than English, but I was finished anyway so bid the little perv goodbye instead. Not really a victory there, but I'm sure that I needn't have worried...

Stepping outside the post office I followed my nose for a while and ended up right in front of the train station, a place I'd visited many a time in the last few months. Fantastic. I knew exactly where I was, exactly where I wanted to be and exactly how to get there. In no time I was chilling in a nicely air-conditioned KFC, ignoring my normal dislike for the brand and enjoying a burger and fries. Victory number three...

When finished I caught a bus across the road back to the bus station and had just ten minutes to wait for my bus back to Lanshan. I felt on top of the moon at all this independent success and had an ice-cream to celebrate. As I approached the counter four nervous faces looked back at me from the other side. They mumbled to each other about not knowing English and eventually one was pushed forward. He didn't catch what I said so the others came up for support. I repeated myself very matter-of-factly and one of the girls brushed the young lad aside to give me what I wanted. The young lad didn't say anything but kept staring down and another whispered 'ta keyi' (he's capable of...speaking, in this case). I smiled at them smugly and walked off to get my bus. Victory number four...

It sounds stupid, but this simple trip to the post office made my week. In a place as incomprehensibly foreign as rural China such simple things are not always as easy as you think. The fact that I couldn't send a parcel from my own town I think speaks volumes about the differences in day to day life here. In my regular, school-bound life chances like this to get out there, stand on your own two feet and do things your own way are few and far between. The experience was liberating. I'm ready for more.