Language and understanding

Everyone has some talent or skill or ability or knowledge which distinguishes them. Every one of us has something that we do well. We do that thing or have knowledge that makes us good at a task or a job or just being a person in the world. I love people. Like, really love people. My thing/skill/ability/whatever is a need to know about people. I want to listen to them and let them be who they are while I learn about them and their experiences. This doesn’t mean that I am as accepting or welcoming as I could be. That is another skill. One that I’m working on, but it is definitely a work in progress. However, I am infinitely curious about people and what makes them tick in their environment and within their chosen context. Yesterday, during a meeting and lunch, I had the opportunity to meet three new people and to learn about them. It was awesome!

First, I met a cameraman who works for the university. He was raised in Beijing but considers another place his home because it is where his family originated. Shy and polite, he was nervous about talking with in English. I assured him that his English was far superior to my Mandarin and we began a conversation. He is recently married and, based on his reaction when his wife was mentioned, very happy with that development. Before he came to work at the university, he worked professionally filming “propaganda.” That was his word. Propaganda. This is where my counterpart, Professor Li, jumped in. He explained that the cameraman actually filmed advertisements and commercials. Professor Li knew that my idea of “propaganda” was different than the cameraman’s. Astute and fascinating.

Next, a young woman breezed into the room wearing a big smile and obviously frustrated by something. She spoke to Professor Li in Mandarin and he gave her his ID card. I understood that she had been stopped by the police and wanted to borrow his card. Later, I found out that she had indeed been stopped and wanted to use his card to access the on-campus library. She is an editor for the Chinese equivalent of the Associated Press. We talked about her work and we shared our experiences coming and going from campus. She laughed easily as we chatted and was confident and seemed happy. As our conversation progressed to the topic of my research, I asked if she felt pressure to marry and have a child. She said “yes,” but then elaborated by saying, “I don’t see getting married any time in the near future.” I asked her if she was enjoying working and living on her own. Again, she said “yes,” and went on to say, “I’m just not ready to have a baby.” Also fascinating. Her stated objection to marriage was actually objection to having a child.

Finally, an undergraduate student who introduced himself to me as “Bill” came bustling into the room. The young woman immediately engaged him in a conversation in Mandarin. I gathered that it was about his Beatles-style jacket and his long hair in a ponytail. Outgoing and exuberant, he began conversing with me in English and with Professor Li in Mandarin. He will help me with my research. I am delighted by this. Maintaining his focus will be my only challenge. He is very interested in my research topic, so I don’t anticipate great difficulties.

All three of these new friends are wonderful. They seemed genuinely happy to make my acquaintance, as I was theirs. One thing struck me as we talked, though. No matter who I meet here in Beijing, I am consistently impressed with the language skills and the brain power behind both the code switching and use of language in these conversations. It seems as though people who learn to speak multiple languages with any proficiency possess an increased understanding of the world and the people in it. They can interact in ways that I cannot. This is just one of their talents/skills/abilities. I am envious. Each meeting strengthens my resolve to learn more and to make sure that my own children understand the value in learning languages. After all, the more I know about language and context, the more I can use my curiosity about people and their experiences.