Me and Shushu
As we stated in our grant proposal, our trip to China is “a great opportunity to explore a rising power not only through the lens of economics and politics, but also language and culture.” My cultural immersion is coming in the form of a homestay with a retired couple—”Shushu” (uncle) and “Ayi” (aunt)—who do not speak any English and their 30-year-old son, who is rarely home but occupies a room with his wife. The five of us share tight quarters and a single bathroom. I am comfortable in my bedroom, even if my “box spring” is a wooden chest and my “mattress” is a three-inch-deep foam pad.
My Chinese is so elementary that the phrase “lost in translation” would grossly overstate the very little I understand of what is being said to me at home. I have generated no shortage of entertainment by unwittingly saying things like “My brother looks like a computer” and “I am going to eat the television.”
Generally, Shushu provides the monologues and I provide the blank stares. Not once deterred by my endless state of confusion, Shushu goes to great lengths to demonstrate and act out the meaning of words. He has also offered daily chopstick tutorials (with moderate success) and hourly pronunciation lessons (to no avail). He has become so enamored by our teacher-student sessions that he recruited a friend to make a video capturing the educational experience. My Chinese movie premiere was highlighted by a shower scene in which I stand wrapped in a towel beneath the shower head while pretending to gingerly touch the water. I yell “leng” (“cold”) and then “tang” (“painfully hot”) before banging on the door to be let out. Another Oscar-worthy scene features me turning down a Christmas gift (two bags of fruit) before explaining that I don’t celebrate the Christian holiday. Telling the Chinese that I, an American, don’t celebrate Christmas has been a little like breaking the news to a 6-year-old that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
More on Shushu and home life to come…
Joe
January 2, 2007 at 9:13 pm
You should’ve taken the fruit, Joseph.
January 9, 2007 at 6:03 am
[...] and Shushu, Part 2 Previously, I provided a glimpse into life with my Chinese family (here). The novelty of being treated by Shushu like a budding movie star quickly grew thin, however, when [...]