Can anyone tell me how they communicate to taxi drivers? I find places where I would need to go however when you get into the taxi, he does not understand English. Why don't the English webs site's offer the directions in Chinese, next to the English address? Then, I could print and show! I have wanted to go to the Bird and Flower market however three attempts to go and all of the taxi drivers could not understand or did not want to "choose one" of them for me, so I still have not been able to make it there. I know that there is more than one of the Bird and flower Markets so could someone tell me which is the best one and give me the address in "CHINESE" so that I can print it, show it to the driver, and hopefully one day make it to one of the Bird and Flower markets.
Thank you
First - - I don't understand why you assume that taxi drivers should speak English.
Next - - May we assume that you don't know a single person who writes Chinese??
Finally - - May I suggest that you make a list (in English) of all your possible destinations and then get someone (a student perhaps) to write them in Chinese.
IF - - all else fails - - perhaps put your list on this site and some kind-hearted linguist might post the list in Chinese so that you (and others) can print the list and . . . .
Failing all the above - - we might get the government to paint taxi's bright orange if the driver speaks English.
Good Luck!! Cheers - - JJ
Having a map and showing the driver where you want to go is another option.
One problem I find is that often taxi drivers don't know where things are,if you don't know yourself then it can be a real problem,,
What buses are you near? I find that if I don't know how to tell the taxi driver where to go it's just easier to ask my foreigner friends how to get there on a bus. The bird and flower market is downtown not to far from the gates. Let me know if you how to get downtown and I'll try to give you directions from there to the market.
it's not been fully launched yet, but GoKunming Mobile m.gokunming.com might come in handy here - among other things, it has a listings search with addresses in Chinese. just show your phone to the taxi driver.
if you don't have a phone that can go online, you can print from GoKunming's regular listings at www.gokunming.com/en/listings/city/kunming/
