Communication in China

Com,municating here is tough if you don't know the language at all, you can usually get it done by pointing and getting the price down by hand signals. People can count to 9 using one hand here (Usually the other hand is busy with things), However, most of the time you just don't know what people are saying and you just stand there looking at each other for a while. If your going to live in this country for any length of time past a month or two Chinese will be a must, at least enough to get by. as it is when I get in a taxi by myself and have someone else give the directions I am still a little worried about where exactlly I will end up. Maybe a little bit silly, but Wuhan is a very big place and the last thing I want to do is get left in some descolate part of it. Many Chinese people understand a little english as well, however they don't really speak it very well. Writing things down ocasionally is alright if they are a bit younger, most chinese students read and write english quite well. Hope that answers the question on communication in China, have a class to prepare for must go.