This is a quick and simple story that in some ways sums up much of the communication that occurs at work between the Chinese staff and the Western Staff, confusion, misunderstanding mixed with large jumps. This week one of the Chinese women that works in the office was asking my boss about supplies and ordering. Part of the conversation was the following:
Chinese woman: I wanted to check on the ordering, you do need any ass paper?
Boss: What?
Chinese woman: Do you need any ass paper, are you out? Do you need?
Boss: Ass paper? Do you mean A4 paper?
Chinese woman: Yes, ass paper
When I first heard this I thought she was asking him if he needed toilet paper, or that there was something going on that I was not picking up on. To be able to understand how in the world he figured out that she was asking if he need the A4 size of paper, you have to be a little familiar with Mandarin. The number 4 is just s, so she was reading the order in half English and half Chinese, which came out "ass". And who said that ordering stationary was an ordinary uneventful task?
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