Remembering my time in Taiwan, this is one thing that would make me happy for some reason. I’d be by myself walking down the street, maybe, and some random local person would come up and ask me for directions or help with something in Chinese–I’m obviously an a-dough-ga, but I seemed to have that “knows Chinese language” look about me.
It happened a couple of times, and I felt accepted in society for just a moment. :snivel: It made up for all the times the counter kids at McDonald’s would run away and cower behind the french fry machine, afraid to speak English with me.
Actually, thinking back on it, the fact that it made me happy maybe was kind of pathetic. Anyway, has it ever happened to you? Were you pathetically happy about it like I was?
This happened to me in Taichung, when I was a scooter boy. A car of nice country folk were lost and asking for directions. They stopped next to me and asked, then blushed when they saw my face. But they were sillyhappy when I gave the directions in Chinese! I should’ve gotten dinner out of them.
Funny. I was asked yesterday whilst stopped at some lights. A middle aged bloke on a scooter. He offered me a cigarette after I told him I didn’t have a clue where the hell I was, let alone where he wanted to go.
I feel successively happy then guilty when I give them detailed directions then they drive off and I realise the directions I gave them were entirely wrong. (Only happened once so far!)
How about having someone stop beside you and tap you on the shoulder at the lights, only to squirt off through the red light in astonishment and embarrassment when you lift your visor, to be t-boned by a taxi.
Only happened to me once. I stopped beside his prone, shattered body, leaned over, and said “You would have been wanting to hang a left there for Ankeng Road, buddy. Not straight on.”
Yes. Many times. I also get asked for direction a lot by friends and people at work.
[begin: off-topic rant]
Is is really necessary to refer to the Taiwanese as ‘locals’? I find this ‘us-and-themish.’ Call me sensitive, but I don’t think I would like being referred to as a local by say an English-speaking Indian in my home country.
This thread for example, could have been called ‘Do other drivers ever ask you for directions?’ without any significant loss of information but with a gain in niceness.
[quote=“sandman”]How about having someone stop beside you and tap you on the shoulder at the lights, only to squirt off through the red light in astonishment and embarrassment when you lift your visor, to be t-boned by a taxi.
Only happened to me once. I stopped beside his prone, shattered body, leaned over, and said “You would have been wanting to hang a left there for Ankeng Road, buddy. Not straight on.”[/quote]
:bravo:
Out of the twenty or so times I’ve been asked for directions, all but one or two were when I was on a scooter. Half the time, they ask half the question, then stop when they see I’m a laowai, giving me the perfect chance to use “Qing3 wen4” in the rare meaning of “Please go ahead and ask”.
As for the rest, who don’t bat an eye, I guess they figure that if you’re on a scooter, you know your way around and probably speak some Chinese too.
Funniest reaction my Chinese response ever got was an absolutely shocked expression and “hao3 kong3bu4!”
I was just thinking about this the other day. Maybe you guys on Forumosa can help. I was walking on JianGuo Rd in Hsin Tien awhile back and a car pulls up and asks me which way SanMin Rd was. I told him to go up to ZhongZheng and turn right and he’d see it. Rather pleased with myself (I don’t live in Hsin Tien but worked there for a few years), I then discovered that I should have told him to turn left. I had most likely confounded the local motorist.
Does SanMin Rd do some strange thing like intersect/meet up with ZhongZheng in two places (this map is cut off)? If that’s the case, I didn’t give him wrong directions. If not, where does it end up?
Next time you see someone on the street with a map, go up to them and ask if they need help. It’s a great way to be an ambassador for your city/town.
Have been asked for directions by locals on few occassions though I couldn’t say I could be of much help.
But I have some (local) friends in Malaysia that still call me for directions every now and then!
Directions, the time and other random shit. I always wonder why they approach me. Many times it’s when there are other people around that would probably be more likely able to help. It’s always been an older woman or man though.
Yes, but he was blind. (I am NOT making this up.) He asked me quite a few questions upon hearing my accent, but fortunately I did know how to get where he wanted to go, and he went off in that direction quite happily.
I get asked once a week and it starts off as. “EXCUSE ME CAn you tell where…Ji …errr Long Road umm… sorriiiiiiiiiiiiiyy…” embarrassed looking down at their crotch.
Always give them perfect directons to top off their embarrassment.
frequently, but usually while I’m scooting. I wear a full face helmet, with a tinted visor. Same ever time, excuse me shiow jie, oh uh… um … (clearly thinking oh crap a forgner), I always just smile and ask where they want to go, the ‘funniest’ part for me is I usually can tell them how to get there . Makes us both chuckle.
I think until recent times, the use of maps was banned in Taiwan. That would explain the general cluelessness of people and directions here. I usually don’t bother asking locals for directions anymore and locals have never asked me. Thats strange isn’t it. Logically, why would you ask someone who is OBVIOUSLY a foreigner, directions? Is it because they know locals are clueless or is it simply an excuse to talk to the foreigner?
Is is really necessary to refer to the Taiwanese as ‘locals’? I find this ‘us-and-themish.’ Call me sensitive, but I don’t think I would like being referred to as a local by say an English-speaking Indian in my home country.
This thread for example, could have been called ‘Do other drivers ever ask you for directions?’ without any significant loss of information but with a gain in niceness.
[end: off-topic rant][/quote]
I find the word “local” a respectful term, much preferable to, say, “native”. And I would not feel offense at being referred to as a local by someone who is visiting my home country.
Even so, there is a loss of information here. “Other drivers” could also refer to other foreigners, and this is not the subject of the thread.
:bravo:
. Makes us both chuckle.