For my first story...
I’ve once again mastered ordering a sub at subway as I did in Russia. Sometimes I tend to impress the workers behind the counter since they expect me not to know Chinese and they usually address me in English.
The same happened this time when I was needing a quick meal on my way home from the gym. I stopped at Subway that was in an area that catered to westerners so most employees will speak enough English to accommodate.
They greeted with me ‘hello, what would you like?’
I answered back in Chinese ‘Ni Hao, Wo yao yi ge Shucai’ (A vegetarian sub)
From then the usual subway back and forth questions took place in Chinese. I chose the cheese, got him to toast it, added all the proper veggies and some mustard. When he asked if I wanted anything else I added on a drink and a couple cookies. Finally, the last step I asked to get it for takeaway or ‘Da-zo’.
After the bag was all packed up and I was ready to leave he said something to me in Chinese. I didn’t catch it and it was out of the realm of a regular sub ordering procedure. I asked him to repeat it one more time and I stared at him blankly as I was trying to re-run the words he just said through my mind. I still couldn’t come up with what he was saying. In case it was something important I stopped and told him I didn’t understand.
He then switches to English and says to me ‘I was saying you speak Chinese very well’. Oh, crap.
After that he turned to his colleague, said something quickly in Chinese and they laughed. I didn’t need to hear what he said to understand that one. ;)
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