I regularly get strange looks even at home from Chinese-speaking folks. I used to live very near Chinatown in Seattle, and volunteered at the Chinese Refugee Association, so I was surrounded by Chinese regularly and used it often, much to the surprise of most people, Chinese and non- alike.
In the area I live in now, a bit outside the city, there are many Asian immigrants. I regularly encounter elderly Chinese ladies in grocery stores fumbling to get by and help them out whenever possible. It seems the older people are less shocked than the younger are.
Anyway, on to my funny story…
I had just began teaching a Friday night class at a buxiban in XinMenDing. The school occupied several floors of an old, shabby building, and my classroom that evening was on the 12th floor. After the first class, which consisted of a handful (ten or so) college-age women, we all packed into the rinky-dink elevator, myself being last one in the door, facing it as the elevator slowly made its way down.
All the way from the classroom to the elevator and after stepping into it, they began talking about me. Comments made about me being so white, the size of my shoes, my blonde hair, etc. After a couple minutes, I wanted to just laugh, but continued looking forward, to the doors, hiding my smirk the entire time. Immediately before we landed at the ground floor, I turned around to face them all, closely packed in together, all staring at me, as I said, “你真的覺得我太高嗎?”
They, of course, bolted immediately as the doors opened, nearly knocking me to the ground. I could hear their shreaks as they quickly ran away, faces covered and all. It was absolutely priceless! Silly of them to think that because I had been in Taiwan for only a few weeks that they’d get away with that, in a crowded elevator especially. I couldn’t let that one go. Of course, in classes following, they learned to talk in whispers or resort to using Taiwanese. :raspberry:
