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[A-Train]

I just respond with "Lo siento, no hablo engles".

[Arnold J. Rimmer]

Here are the unofficial Saloon "Hello" rules:

1.  If the person yelling "hello" waits until after passing you, do not turn around.  Coldly ignore the hello.  Failure to follow this rule will result in excessive neck strain.  No one who walks past and then shouts "hello" is going to be capable of an English conversation anyway.

2.  If the person yells "hello" and then instantly laughs like he's trying out for the Bevis and Butthead fan club, coldly ignore him.

3.  A semi-friendly "hello" from in front should be treated with some level of politeness.  If you don't feel like getting to the "how are you?" stage of a dead end conversation, just smile and nod.

4.  For small children, saying "hello" back is usually a nice thing to do.  Encouraging them to speak English is in our long term interests here at the Saloon.

5.  Really hot Chinese girls should always get a warm smile and "hello" in return.

Brilliant.

This is exactly what I have been doing 

[latefordinner]

as you can see, the best rules are those that one intuitively follows anyway.

[Stil]

I've been in Dalian for nine months now, and strangely I haven't encountered this "We'd like to speak English with you" phenomenon yet.

I've experienced the "hello" from behind the back less than a handful of times. I've replied once or twice. They usually break out in laughter. So I don't bother doing that anymore.

I wonder if these phenomena are more common in some areas of China than others. I don't really get stared at very often here either.

It generally happens more in smaller places or perhaps you are particularly ugly.

[dragonsaver]

I lived in Dalian for 5 years.  I loved it there and wish I was still there 

Anyhow, I don't remember any real problems with the "hello's" but would occasionally get some staring, usually with migrant workers rather than the locals. 

I frequently was approached with the "I'd like to speak English with you" but 99.9% of the time it was on campus.  I would say sure, while I am walking home but no longer.     The student would always agree but be so 'sad' when I said bye, I live over there and leave 

 

[dragonsaver]

Why did you leave Dalian? Are you still in China?

Nope, I am back in Canada now.  I aged out unfortunately but wish I was still in China.  I really miss China.  I miss the food, I miss my Chinese friends too. 

[Escaped Lunatic]

DS, Come back for a visit. That's why they invented L visas.

[dragonsaver]

EL Sorry but:    Wo mei you qian     我没有钱

[Escaped Lunatic]

EL Sorry but:    Wo mei you qian     我没有钱

I'd say to hitchhike, but they haven't built that bridge over the Bering Strait yet.

[Guangzhou Writer]

Stumbled on this thread while  looking for goofy English Corner questions and I feel like making a reply.

I enthusiastically respond to students or other Chinese who want to spend time with me in order to improve their English or hang out with someone from a foreign country. It's basically in my nature, and one thing you have to give Chinese credit for is exceptional effort at being hospitable with foreign strangers.

However, time and again I run into a problem that, when I get to the heart of it, has nothing to do with culture or appropriateness, and nothing to do with English or Chinese, and it's the same problem that Chinese have with each other 24/7 that they usually solve by avoidance or habitual obliviousness.

Listening is a basic skill beyond aural function, frequency range, and dB sensitivity. How do you respond to someone who is essentially attacking you verbally in a violent, one-way oral assault with mouth open and ears turned off?

How do you do anything non-violent with a person who refuses to listen, refuses a two-way communication, and forcefully projects bizarre stereotypes onto you, tries to pressure you into gan-bei, etc? The polite Chinese way is to sort of smile at your assailant, nod a bit, utter no words, maybe grunt, and voila: a "polite conversation".