play this game together.

I have a "friend" who I have known for over a year in Hang.zhou whose friendship is mainly preserved through the wonder of internet translation. When we are together we don't talk so much because we usually meet in loud, crowded places. Our main conversations consist through a Chin.ese instant message service. This makes my life highly entertaining. He translates to English and I translate to Chin.ese-sometimes typing both for extra measure.

We have to use a translator because I cannot read Chin.ese, I can only speak. Which means I can only email, text, or im with people who know the Chin.ese form of writing called pinyin which uses letters. This way I can sound it out and know the word. Many people who did not go to college are not good at pinyin and thus we either only talk on the phone or revert to Google to carry on the conversation.

I am used as a source of all things Am.erican. I keep him around because our friendship is funny to me and well...he's beautiful. Tonight I was a MAC computer price expert...have fun reading the hilariousness that is inter-cultural communication online...

(I translated the characters in pink so you can follow along)

lijisheng 07:43:50

Hello

Jessica 07:45:24

hi

lijisheng 07:46:14

At home you?

Jessica 07:49:14

yes. 时差 (jet lag). haha

lijisheng 07:50:40

Oh, sorry! Disturb you so early

Jessica 07:51:02

it's ok! You didn't disturb me.

Jessica 07:52:30

zui jin hao ma? (how have you been lately?)

lijisheng 07:53:36

Good

lijisheng 07:53:46

hehe

Jessica 07:55:54

:)

lijisheng 07:58:13

Please your family, wishing them a happy New Year wish your grandmother's health

Jessica 07:58:41

thank you! when do you go home for chun jie (spring festival) ?

lijisheng 08:03:35

To go home, but only 10 days at home, we must return to work of the

Jessica 08:04:23

oh

Jessica 08:05:35

such a short time! I was only home 12 days. 这么短的时间！我只有12天回家 (same thing already said)

lijisheng 08:06:15

En Yes

lijisheng 08:09:57

我很喜欢苹果笔记本电脑，我想买一台，但在中国买价格太高，但我朋友有在美国买就很便宜，所以我想请你帮我看下{MacBook Pro（MB985CH/A）}这个型号的在美国需要多少钱，谢谢

lijisheng 08:10:07

I like the Apple notebook, I would like to buy, but in China the price is too high to buy, but my friends are in the United States to buy very cheap, so I would like to ask you to help me Kanxia (look up) (MacBook Pro (MB985CH / A)) This model how much money in the United States, thank you

Jessica 08:14:19

I think it is between USD$1200 and $1500 for the smaller one.

lijisheng 08:16:46

恩 (um)，1200USD$？

Jessica 08:17:05

US Dollars.

lijisheng 08:18:52

US Dollars.

lijisheng 08:19:05

Well, I know quite cheap

Jessica 08:20:08

1,200.00 USD

=

8,193.36 CNY

Jessica 08:20:40

I just looked that up. 我只看到，截至 (same thing)

lijisheng 08:21:27

(MacBook Pro (MC118CH / A)) of this model number?

Jessica 08:22:29

I don't know, I'll look...

lijisheng 08:28:03

Thanks

lijisheng 08:29:03

The money I have is, I really like this computer

Jessica 08:29:24

The 15 inch is 12,500CNY. I think it's expensive!

lijisheng 08:31:25

15寸的都是这么贵吗？ (15 inch is more expensive?)

Jessica 08:34:04

yes

Jessica 08:34:34

because it is bigger. 13 inches is around 9,000CNY

Jessica 08:35:22

因为它是更大的。 13英寸约为9,000元人民币 (same thing)

Jessica 08:36:16

I have a 13 inch mac book pro. I think smaller is ok.

lijisheng 08:37:17

En bigger, but I feel good

Jessica 08:37:41

:) mei wen ti (doesn't matter)

lijisheng 08:53:43

OK to trouble you

Jessica 08:54:00

no worries

lijisheng 09:10:05

How many ex-inch?

Jessica 09:10:14

13

lijisheng 09:11:19

You can type to tell me?

Jessica 09:14:03

在13英寸是7500rmb和15英寸的约9000元。我发现苹果的网站 (The 13 inch is 7500rmb and the 15 inch is 9000rmb. I found that on apple's website.)

Jessica 09:14:35

对不起，这是这么长时间，我在中国的互联网是缓慢的 (same as next sentence)

Jessica 09:14:52

sorry it is taking so long my internet is slow in China

lijisheng 09:16:36

Or would like to thank you, I was like a 15, and I really like

Jessica 09:16:48

:)

Jessica 09:17:58

I am going to sleep now. 我要睡觉了 (same)

lijisheng 09:19:25

Go out when the next time you go shopping, help me see, today, thank you, come to China I ask you to dinner, thank you

Jessica 09:19:40

I'm in China now

lijisheng 09:19:47

Thank you, I thought you home?

Jessica 09:19:52

I got back to Hangzhou yesterday.

Jessica 09:20:19

昨天我来到这里 (same as above)

lijisheng 09:20:38

Oh, really ah, good, another day go out play this game together

Jessica 09:21:00

ok

lijisheng 09:21:19

Well, you have an early rest bar

lijisheng 09:21:19

Well, you have an early rest bar

Jessica 09:22:43

我累了今天的时差，但我应该美好的明天。哈哈 bye bye (I am so tired because of jetlag but I should be better tomorrow, haha.)

lijisheng 09:23:51

Good-bye Zuogehaomeng (sleep well)

The moral of the story is...THANK YOU GOOGLE TRANSLATE...and, have an early rest bar. :)

cheers, Chi.na. xoxo