Can you understand me?

A month back I flew to Minnesota for my sister's wedding reception. On my way to Denver, where I had a layover, I sat next to an old Chinese couple. It didn't take long to realize that all the English they knew was "hello" and "yes." They were really excited when I used the half dozen Chinese words in my vocabulary, but they soon realized my Chinese skills were about as good as their English skills. Our conversation ended before the plane even got into the air.

I began learning the Hmong language four years ago . For those who don't know, the Hmong people are a racial minority found throughout Southeast Asia, and hundreds of thousands of Hmong refugees now live in the United States. During a 4 hour rain delay in Denver I overheard a Hmong family talking together. Fearlessly I walked up, greeted them in Hmong and we engaged in an hour long conversation in their own language. I've since reflected on what an impact communication can have on how you view people. I'm sure that the Chinese couple and Hmong couple were similar in many ways, including their desires and needs. Yet the way I viewed the Hmong couple was completely different than the way I had viewed the Chinese couple earlier that morning. The way we view someone is shaped largely by our communication with them. It is hard to relate with someone if you can't understand what they're saying.

When I first began to study computer science, sometimes what I learned in class may as well have been Chinese. I had little experience before college with computer programming and the topics I learned in class occasionally flew right by me. Today I am much more comfortable with "tech talk" but I remain aware of how difficult it can be for those not involved in technology related fields to keep up. When discussing technology to others who aren't technically inclined I try to make it sound to them like I'm speaking English and not Chinese. John Taylor said "it is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself, and to unfold and simplify it so that a child can understand it." This principle applies to all of us in the tech field, so let's remember it the next time we are tempted to assault others with a barrage of words like multiplexer and megabytes. Because to them a "mega bite" might just be a really big mouthful of food.