Other stories,...
-people still think whether i'm chinese, singapore or japanese, when i'm a pure blood indonesian. this happen if i'm strighly using english.
-i can speak little bit simple conversation, sometimes i was strighly using mandarin chinese to make easier to communicate because although Guangzhou is a big city not all their shopkeeper or when we enter a restaurant and foods shop can speak English even it is a simple one. but when i'm using it they will continue the conversation that made have to say 'wo hui jiang yidian' means i can only speak little bit, and after i said that they said 'i though you're a chinese'.
-on the flight back to indonesia, the male attendance of Garuda Air asking me what drink that i want using mandarin chinese, and i replied 'aqua aja, pak' means just mineral water.
-on the custom cleareance, the official asked the custom clearence paper but he asked me using English.
-when i had to stay a night at airport hotel, i went to baked shop, when i was still chosing which one i chosed the shop keeper said to me 'just looking looking miss?' and i replied 'saya mau roti ayam ini 2' means i want this chicken bread 2. and he just staring at me.
some words:
-if you are going to china, and you go on your own(not joining a tour), try to learn simple conversation; like how much does it cost?, where is the toilet, and some conversation that connected when you are in reastaurant.
-try to ask how to pronunciate the place that you want to go. in china some of the places have two names, the international(english) name and chinese name. the taxi driver usually only knows the chinese name.