A Great Wall

- Taking a bath? - No.

What do you want?

I'm a temporary worker.

Come with me.

Towels are here!

Towels?

Your turn.

Let me try.

- Over here. - Sure.

Take a rest.

- How much for a Coke? - Seventy cents.

It's too expensive. I'll have water.

We only make $1.50 a day as temporary workers.

What is this?

Keep playing.

Lili!

Jan, where are you going?

I missed you at English class last night and Monday night.

My dad will get me a private tutor. The class is terrible.

Who's bothering you?

The one in the back who naps during class.

There's several of them. Is he tall or short?

Not too tall.

- I'm home. Bye. - Bye.

That's no way to treat your new bike.

Lili, what's the matter with you?

See, you've scared my bird.

Take a look at this?

When are we going to Tsingtao? It was your idea.

Oh, that.

Let's see.

It's scheduled for July.

It's during the college entrance exams. How can I make it?

Simply ask your father to reschedule the trip.

There's a letter from your uncle. What does it say?

"My dearest niece..."

What does it mean?

"It has been a long time..."

What is he saying?

Don't rush me. I need to look it up.

Your uncle has been abroad for 30 years.

He can't even write Chinese anymore.

He was only 10 then. Never took his schooling seriously.

All he ever did was cause trouble.

I got it!

Uncle's coming to Beijing.

Really?

My little brother's coming to visit.

That's it? Damn it!

I've been trying to debug that program for the whole week. My God!

I don't know about your God...

...but my God should be a nice-Iooking Chinese God, who's perfectly circumcised.

- Poi-fectly? - Poi-fectly!

Beef noodles. Thank you, dear.

What do you have to say about your report card, son?

Nothing.

Professor Chuang just called.

He said you only showed up for his Chinese 1 class once.

I have been going to Chinese class ever since I can remember.

You know what? I never got to watch Bugs Bunny.

Son, nobody should deny his own cultural background.

Although we send you to Chinese school every year...

...but you still don't speak Chinese!

- Some bitter melon? - And be bitter for the rest of my life? No.

Is Yida asleep?

It's time to get up, Yida.

Are you dead?

He has really stopped breathing.

Where have those hands been?

- Fuck, it has an evil smell. - There's no smell.

Look at the fortune on my hand. Full of luck.

But it can't seem to grasp anything I put my hands on.

Who's the most popular singer in America?

Luciano Pavarotti.

Who's he?

Would you give me a shorter name?

Didn't he sing Your Cold Little Feet?

It's Your Cold Little Hands.

Sing it. Come on, sing it. I love that song.

Stop that singing! My baby just wet his bed.

We've been preparing for a trip to Beijing for the last five years.

He has a standing invitation from his sister in Beijing.

And the China Computer Society.

I even took him seriously once and took a class in Chinese.

I thought you spoke Chinese.

Can't you tell? I'm an American.

Right.

I don't know about our president, Wilson.

He's so indecisive.

I mean, it's only natural.

You've been in charge of that PC division for the past four years now.

I only did the technical part of the project.

You did all the administrative work, didn't you?

Somebody must mop the floor. Not that I enjoy it. I was told to do it.

- Hey, Jimmy. How are you doing? - Hey, Leo.

- Congratulations. - Thank you.

I heard the word about you becoming the new director of the PC division.

- Thank you. - You really deserve it.

But it's not official yet.

I'm tired. I won't be in tomorrow.

Today, we are going to have a new lesson.

Today, we will study Lesson 22.

My Hometown.

"My hometown."

Listen to me carefully.

I'll read the lesson once. Pay attention.

Think of the Chinese meaning while you're listening to the English.

"My hometown is a beautiful place.

"It stands beside a wide river...

"...at the foot of low green hills.

"It has many fine buildings...

"...and a red, wide street.

"There are trees..."

Don't sleep.

It's hard not to. I've read this lesson three times already.

"But it has not always been like that."

Look, they're dozing off.

"In the old days, it was a sad, dirty little town..."

After the class, I'll speak to them.

Do you understand that?

- And say what? - Ask for their notes.

Do you understand?

River.

What does it mean?

River.

Hello?

Why are you saying "hello" to strangers? You're not Americans.

Just being polite.

Is it you?

Not me.

Then, it must be you.

No, I didn't...

One of you is flirting with Jan.

Disgusting.

Come on, we're classmates. Why can't we talk?

What do you mean "classmates"? Hutong boys.

What's wrong with Hutong?

Don't you live in Hutong, too?

- What do you want? - Let's be friends.

Look at my handsome pal.

He speaks fluent English and sings opera too.

What's his name? Papa Rawdi?

No, Pavarotti.

Jim here's already discussed our income for the year.

Keep it up, gentlemen, and Frances.

Our PC computer, Comprocot, has been very competitive...

...thanks to Leo, Neil, and their fellow workers.

It should come as no surprise that we've decided to establish...

...a new PC division.

The new director of this PC division is...

...Mr. Neil Mahoney.

And Comprocot's inventor, Leo Fang, has been promoted to headquarters...

...as senior member of the technical staff to our senior vice-president.

Five years ago you told me...

...I didn't have enough experience to be the director.

Now, Neil Mahoney has less experience than I had five years ago.

- There are other considerations. - Like what?

Well, such as youth. Neil is younger than you.

- You're telling me I'm too old. - No, I don't mean that at all.

Neil has lots of good qualities.

Listen to me, Leo.

Neil doesn't know the system well.

He'll learn.

You have a good job, high up in the company, hardly any hassle.

Let me tell you what I think you're thinking.

You don't believe the Chinaman is good enough to be the director.

That's what you're thinking.

Fourteen years.

Damn!

Mr. Wilson.

San, come back! Wash the dishes.

I'm coming.

That's correct. This is the place.

Mr. Liu?

Mr. Liu Lo?

Old Chao, what a surprise. It's been a long time.

Yes, I've come for your help. This is my daughter.

She's become a lady. Come in.

Come inside. Please excuse my place. It's a mess.

My daughter does well in all subjects, except English.

It'll be tough for her in the college exams.

Will you please tutor her?

But my English is old-fashioned and not good enough.

Come on, all of Beijing knows that your English is almost perfect.

What's the tense for this?

If you want to study English well, you must study hard.

That means memorizing the dictionary.

When I was young...

...I used to memorize 50 words a day.

When I was young, I tried to remember 50 English words.

Even if I forgot 45 words...

If I forgot 45, I still have five left.

But some people just don't want to do this.

I don't know why.

Excuse me.

- Let's get married, now. - Come on.

Your father might come home early.

Pretend he's in China now.

Paul, are you really going to China this summer?

Actually, I don't think we're ever really gonna get there.