歩歩中文

July 1

Ha, don't laugh! For a beginner learning a new language, even the smallest success can make you feel like a million bucks. Today I was actually able to order something I wanted in a restaurant here in Taipei. After several days of blundering around, unable to say the simplest thing or accomplish the simplest task without somebody to help me or speak English to me, I finally did something right. I went to the tapioca tea house on Roosevelt Road--just a little shop. After taking a few minutes to look at the menu, hiding outside, I found something i could read, pronounce, and actually wanted. I finally got up enough courage to go to the window and give it a try. Slowly but steadily the words came out of my mouth "我要梅子緑茶" (I'd like honey green tea) Did I actually say that? The clerk looked at me and said something like "...没有梅子緑茶..." (We don't have plum green tea right now"） Did he actually understand me? Cool! And I think i understood him! So I didn't panic...I looked at the menu and found something else: "蜂蜜緑茶" (honey green tea)　Wow! Memorizing the Tapioca House menu paid off. And for the next few minutes I enjoyed a tiny linguistic success and delicious iced tea. Of course it was back to square one after a few minutes, but I'll always remember my first success using Chinese.