Didi is the Chinese version of Uber. Well in fact Uber were bought out by them last year. I finally used it the other day. I was running late for an appointment and so I took the plunge. Now I’ve never used any type of app like this before to order a taxi but how hard can it be? Well in China there is an extra challenge, the app is in Chinese, no English so there lies the challenge.

I have the address I’m going to saved on my phone so that’s easy enough because all I have to do is copy and paste it into the correct field. First step done and then I proceed to the payment area. Step 2 completed and then that’s me, ready to have my first Didi taxi. Now on the screen it should tell me the registration number and colour of the car but I can’t find it. Panic is setting in and I’m thinking of cancelling the whole thing and just be late for my meeting.

Then the worst thing happens, the phone rings…………Fuck Fuck. The driver is going to ask me where I am, what do I say, will he understand me, will I understand him Fuck Fuck.

A few words pass between us and I explain that I am a stupid foreigner and I’m next to the metro station, he can’t miss me and then he hangs up. Now all  this time I am being watched it seems by a young lady and she comes up to me and asks me if I am ok and I tell her I am waiting for a taxi but not sure what’s happening because my Chinese is not good enough. She looks at my phone and scans the street and then points to a red car crawling along the road………this is my car woo hoo. I thank her and then go to my taxi. The driver and I exchange a few words and I tell him this is my first time I have used Didi. He smiles and seems friendly enough. I can relax and enjoy the ride. Better still  his driving is actually quite good.

Now Didi was very convenient and quite cheap but it was a very stressful process, why? because I can’t read Chinese well and can’t speak it very well but I am chuffed that I have the skills to stumble my way through. Obviously the driver understood me on the phone so that was a bonus. Hopefully next time will be a little easier.