Willing to Learn

I drove a young Asian couple home to Shorewood this morning. I was surprised when she decided to sit in the front with me. In my experience most couples usually like to sit together - in the back. When they do not sit together it is most often the man, from any culture, that sits up front.

She did allow that, if I had any need for navigational assistance, I would have to consult with him anyway.

We started out and for awhile they were talking to each other in Chinese. I thought it might be a long trip. They stopped. There was silence for awhile. Then she asked me something about my job. Something simple. She wanted to talk. And so we did.

I took a closer look at the slip of paper with her contact info and said, hoping to get her name right, “Xiao Ying?”

She was visibily surprised and told me that I was the first person, meaning Caucasian, that had ever gotten her name right on the first attempt.

(Did I mentioned I dig my gig?)

While her English is good (she still says Engrish and similar constructions), we talked about language and learning the whole way. She asked me how to improve her accent and vocabulary. My wife is a Spanish teacher. I know some also. I have developed opinions on matters such as these. I was tickled to say the least.

The two of them had been speaking in Mandarin when we started out. I asked. That is the official language of China. She was raised on the mainland nearest to Taiwan and she learned the Hokkien dialect of Min Nan as a child. She started English in middle school but they only practiced reading. Silently. There was no speaking. Really? No words out loud? How does that work?

So, she learned all her spoken English since she has been here in the States over the last ten years. And all that while she has been a math student at UWM. And soon she graduates. And she says she’s scared. The real world looms.

I told her that her willingness to learn is her strong suit.

“How is the weather in Houston?” she asked. I’ve been to Houston. I was so happy I could have driven the three of us to Gleen Bay.

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More people stories at http://goodworkcards.wordpress.com/category/shuttlebug/