Olympics Xing - Language accidents waiting to happen

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Xing (pronounced shing or sing) means journey in Chinese — fitting for this blog, which is all about the journey of the U.S. men's basketball team and N&O staff writer Luciana Chavez at the 2008 Beijing Games. She is covering her first Olympics and making her first trip to China. Check in here for Olympic news and for Luci's impressions getting to and being at the Games.

Language accidents waiting to happen

Submitted by lchavez on 08/08/2008 - 01:10

BEIJING - Since I got into that fight with the shuttle at the airport, and lost, I've been dealing with lovely Chinese volunteers for the Beijing Games eager to help me get where I'm going on my bum ankle.

Except they keep grabbing for my arm and I'm starting to feel like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. They're all trying to be so helpful and gentle and that's kind of the problem. I'm thinking, are you helping me when you gingerly take my elbow? Or am I helping you?

As a defensive maneuver, I added a new Mandarin phrase to my arsenal, "Boo yao, xiexie." I hope I spelled that right. It's supposed to mean, "I don't want that, thank you." But I said it this morning getting onto the shuttle and I still had these hands trying to help me. Needs practice, obviously.

Apparently I need practice with a language I know much better - Spanish. (Hola mama, papa, y familia en California!!) I was chatting up some gentlemen at the MPC earlier today who I had heard speaking what I call island Spanish. I knew he had to be from Cuba or the Dominican Republic. And I never let a chance to practice my Spanish go to waste.

I asked the man where he was from and he said Cuba. I meant to ask then if he felt welcomed here and he didn't hear anything but the "bienvenidos" part. He thought I said welcome so then he wanted to know if I was Chinese.Doh!

I'm trying, people, I swear. Seriously, if not here, where?