Feeling like a bull in a China shop

It was while shopping for meat in the supermarket that I realized that my reliance on pantomime was getting out of control and that I must become more diligent with my Chinese language study.

It was a Sunday afternoon and I had a craving for something simple and familiar to my sensitive Western stomach - like steak and green salad. I had also done little cooking since arriving in Beijing and after eight weeks of black bean pork and noodles, I just didn't know how much more Chinese food I could take.

So I made a mental note of the Chinese word for "beef" and walked off to the supermarket. But after managing to get the attention of the attendant and greeting him in Chinese, I suddenly became nervous and forgot the word "niurou". "Um, beef?" I said in English, to which he shook his head.