Since the water in Beijing isn't drinkable by human people (the Museum of Tap Water notwithstanding), I seem to spend a lot of time asking for water. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, we have one of those water cooler machines in the house so once a week or so, I go down to the shop and go through the process of asking for a new giant bottle and telling them where it should be delivered. So far, each time I've gone there's someone else at the till so there's no building on the previous experience. Each time is a new and different struggle.
Usually I buy something else and when she tells me the price I say "也一个水 Nestle 谢谢" which is pronounced "yě yīgè shuǐ Nestle xièxiè" and means "also a Nestle water thanks". I'm pretty sure I say it in much the same way but they either stare blankly at me (which doesn't help) or they reply and say something. Usually I think they're asking me where I live so they can deliver it and I'm happy to say "building 七" and "apartment 三零三" which usually works. But today she asked me to write it down and I wrote #7, apartment 303 and gave it back to her. However, my European schooling drummed into me that a 7 should have a bar on it and that's the way I've always written it. She had clearly never seen such a number and I couldn't work out what the problem was until she asked the lady behind me what it was and handed her the piece of paper. She then asked if I lived in building 7 to which I replied yes, "qi". And all was resolved.
Still it is a little wearing on an off day to have to struggle so much for something so simple.
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