Universal Dialect

Language can be challenging. Of course, when visiting a new country, you should do your best to learn basic phrases of greeting and politeness. But, when you know it’s only a matter of time until you leave, convincing yourself to go deeper than that can be a hard task.

In comparison to some neighbours, China can feel particularly alienating with respect to language. Rightly so. Around 14% of the world can speak Mandarin. Equally though, you can get by with zero language skills more easily than arguably anywhere else in the world. Since everything is digitised and largely contactless, a high percentage of your communication flows via apps anyway. Yes, those apps can be clunky to set up at first and use, but they effectively eliminate many daily interactions—for better or worse.

Besides digital communication, another mode of expression has stood out. Somewhat of a universal dialect. Understood basically everywhere in the world. Body language.

Body language transcends borders entirely. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Shaking or nodding your head. Sharing a smile. A few sounds also live in this exclusive category. Variations of mhmm and, most definitely—OK. Everyone here says OK, or does the little OK symbol to say pretty much anything.

In a language where even my pronunciation of a thank you can get lost in translation, this small repertoire of shared understanding goes a long way.