So in class we sometimes come across a word in English that needs to get translated to Chinese, like today when I was talking about Chomsky’s idea of illegitimate authority being dismantled (it’s a class on conservation ethics). And when that happens I usually ask people to look it up on their cell phone dictionaries, and recently started using the word “google-fu” and of course nobody knows what I’m talking about.

Me: “have you ever heard the term google-fu, do you know what it means?” Class: blank stares, a few shaking their heads, clueless. Me: “you know like, gong fu.” And instantly, before I even finish the sentence, everybody gets it, laughing, enjoying the idea. Rare cross cultural humor that.