The Road to Shanghai

When Terry and I returned in late July from our visit to the US, we spent a few days in Shanghai -- first, to see our respective dentists, then to go to our synagogue. As we left the fifth-floor Sino-Canadian Dental Clinic, our elevator issued an automated announcement as it stopped at each floor -- for example, "Si lou dao le, qing zou hao." This little jingle, more sung than voiced, means (roughly) "We've arrived at the fourth floor, take it easy." The neat thing was that I suddenly realized I simply understood this series of announcements, without having to stop and mentally translate them. Ah, when will everything I hear start to sound like that? -- Norty