Last night, in the cab on my way home, the driver suddenly spoke to me in Shanghainese reacting to something said over the radio.
I cut him short and asked "what did you say" in Mandarin hoping he'd understand that I don't speak Shanghainese and shift to Mandarin.
But he seemed to take my question for incomprehension of what he said earlier and went on to talk animatedly in between laughs. I found myself responding in both laughter and affirmation; acting as though I understood and agreed with every word he said.
He could've said I'm going to kill you and I would've sat there nodding and laughing my head off.
My sister, who was with me, said I looked stupid.
So much for understatement.
I cut him short and asked "what did you say" in Mandarin hoping he'd understand that I don't speak Shanghainese and shift to Mandarin.
But he seemed to take my question for incomprehension of what he said earlier and went on to talk animatedly in between laughs. I found myself responding in both laughter and affirmation; acting as though I understood and agreed with every word he said.
He could've said I'm going to kill you and I would've sat there nodding and laughing my head off.
My sister, who was with me, said I looked stupid.
So much for understatement.
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