quick wits
(some catching up to do, so these entries will be dated when i wrote them, not when they were posted)
today was my first experience with relying solely on our wits and resourcefulness to get by. first off, the guide book suggested that the easiest thing to do to visit the summer palace was to take a taxi from the subway. so upon arrival, we approached taxi driver after taxi driver with out mangled pinyin and hopeful “summer palace?” each one smiled, pretended to consult our guidebook, look thoughtfully at the pinyin, etc., but bless, them, we might as well have been speaking martian. after the first 8 drivers, it became clear we needed a new communication strategy. i pointed out a western bookstore and bar, and headed straight to see if i could find a map. jonno, on the other hand, headed straight for the bar, found someone who spoke english, got them to write out destination in chinese, and took it to the nearest cab, who nodded in understanding and motioned us in.
and that, ladies and gentlemen, is why i married him.
