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Eavesdropping..

I know people hate people who eavesdrop. I on the otherhand, love to eavesdrop. But before you judge me - I need to clarify first the reason why I eavesdrop. Since I came back from Beijing, China - I have to admit - it became a hobby. At first, I didn't realize that I was eavesdropping.

It began when I went to Beijing to learn to speak Mandarin Upon arriving - I was clueless on what people around me were saying. I had to decipher the meaning by actions, making sounds, and by drawing (I am the worst ever artist! I cant even draw a nice stick figure!) I swear, the first month was the worst! I was literally in a foreign country where I could not understand what was being said, the signages were all in Chinese characters. Everything sounded and seemed alien to me. But after a few classes - I found myself understanding what people on the other table (in a restaurant) were saying. Then it hit me, I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD Mandarin!!

This is where my eavesdropping (hobby) began. I started listening in on converstations while on the subway, while inside a restaurant, inside the cafeteria, while walking around shopping. Even now - whenever I hear a conversation in Mandarin - I make it a point to eavesdrop - just to prove to myself that I can still understand the language. And proudly, I still do!

I can't describe how much I love the Mandarin language, I am fascinated by it and I dream in it (sometimes - they say that whichever language you dream in is the first language you learned - gets?) Anyways - thank god for Mandarin - I can understand Asianovelas, go shopping and haggle to death in China (while shopping at flea markets - my panget swears by my bargaining skills - I taught him and he swears it to be effective! - thanks Kath!!)

Here's to my missing Beijing, China and everything else Chinese!!

By the way - I also realized by watching a famous Asianovela 'Endless Love' that I understood the language. I realized this because on one part (actually in a lot of parts) I found myself crying because of a melancholic scene. Finally!!!

Comments

  1. kathMarch 15, 2006 2:40 PM

    Haha Didi!!! Can we please relearn the whole Mandarin thing? I'm really wistful and sad pag nakakalimutan ko yung bits and pieces.... oh well at least we benefitted sa shopping hehehe that was the best!

    ReplyDelete

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