Memories of Taiwan: Lost in Translation

"How do you you say 'Happy New Year'?" I asked him, and he paused, mid-stream, while people flowed around him, a rock in the rapids.
I carefully repeated his words again and again, watching his eyebrows raise higher and his eyes go wider in increasing exasperation at my mangled tones, until he finally waved his hand saying "hao" (good) - whether in satisfaction or in resignation, I wasn't sure.
With some optimism I shouted out my newly-acquired greeting to the first people I saw: a group of young men and women walking past, chatting amiably in the spirt of New Year's Eve revelry.

My teacher who was shaking his head proceeded to inform me that I, a relatively wealthy foreigner, had just shouted out to this group of poverty-stricken youths: "Give me your money!"
Copyright © 2009 Dejan Djurdjevic
Comments
Grets from Taiwan
hermann
Gaoxiong/Qishan
I understand full well what motivated you to call it out to the first people you met. This year I was in China for Chinese New Year, and I was so excited and so happy to see all the decorations and spirit that I couldn't stop myself from saying it to the first group of people I walked past. They ignored me, which I take to mean my accent was hopeless, but it made me happy anyway.
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