Beijing Chinese Language Meetup

The new focus of my Chinese lessons has been in conversation.  I've struggled with hearing and understanding and being able to correctly respond back with full, useful, sentences.  Its been a new challenge since my previous learning method was more memorization and regurgitation.

About a week ago my teacher told me that my understanding of Chinese is good but then said

 '你说汉语说的不太好‘  - 'Your spoken Chinese is weak'

To improve I've been finding ways to practice my listening and speaking.  I try to use my Chinese more in the office with my colleagues but it can be difficult since I am not the only foreigner in the office.  Any meetings and discussions generally need to take place in English.  

The other day, after being called out by my best friend, I tried something new.  I joined a Beijing Chinese Language Meetup.  People who join are keen to practice their Chinese, help teach Chinese or even some Chinese people who like to practice speaking English.

They meet at a quiet bar not all that far from my house so it was convenient for me to join.  

I was speaking with two Chinese girls who, during their introduction, said they wanted to improve their English.  It only took a few minutes of them watching me struggle with understanding their Chinese and stumbling through my answers to tell me,

'Dave, I thought my English was pretty bad but when I listen to your Chinese I feel much better about my English.'

How nice.  well, as if that wasn't enough of a cut down, they followed with:

'I was always very nervous to speak English but speaking with you...with YOUUUU..and your horrible Chinese, I feel sooooo much more confident to speak English.'  

Just doing my part to better the world.

I'm not saying anything of use

These two girls across from me might seem nice and proper...they have fangs.  You can see the one on the left trying hard to hold back her laughter.  

Handsome

An alarming amount of males at the office have regular habits of telling me that I'm handsome.  The females don't generally come and say this but, for some reason, the guys seem to be very comfortable with it.

This happens on any day when I dress up a bit more than usual like if I'm making a presentation.  A couple weeks ago the comment was made just because I had gotten a haircut.  One of my coworkers that I've spent time with to improve his English came to me and said he noticed I got my haircut.  I confirmed it and mentioned my hair was getting a bit long and out of control so I had to trim it.  He nodded his head and with some stuttering and stammering said 'it's good. and you are just so handsome'.  

Don't get me wrong, I will take the compliment but it's just so unusual to get this attention and back home, most guys don't really say that to each other.  I still don't know how to respond to it, usually I just laugh and probably turn a bit red in the face.  I guess I need to get used to this.    

At least it's better than last year when one male coworker said to me.. 'Dave, your voice..it's so sexual.'