Old vs. new vs. old

I expected the concept of time in a civilization that is quite possibly older than time itself to be different than my own. But I must confess it perplexes me here.

A grand library built in 1998 is old.
A temple built in the 1800's is new.
A hotel built in 2003 is old.
A river dammed in 1955 is new.
A poem written in 990 is.... well, that's Song Dynasty.

Time is not linear here. It's measured in relation to various milestones that shift, some personal or unique to a community. Measured against some things that have not yet happened, hoped for future events.

I don't ask if something is old or new; I ask when it was built or happened. And if dates really matter to you, learn your dynasties.

Absolut Mandarin

My language plan remains the same: winging it. However, I do need to familiarize myself with the phrasebook so that I can flip to the appropriate page quickly.

Which, by the way, is the perfect activity for the 12-minute bus commute to/from work.

Which, by the way, is why the teenagers on said bus were bemusedly inquiring (ok, they were laughing at me*), "Who's that lady talking to?!" as I rattled off counting to ten, with hand gestures -- I may not get the tones right, but I can make a duck face with my hand (7).

*I'm going to China; they're going to Algebra. Suck it.

Language barrier

I do not speak Chinese.

Largely because there is no such thing. China's citizens speak anywhere from 30 to 300 different languages depending on your inclination towards pedantitude. Mandarin is the most spoken language, although it doesn't carry the same expectations and usefulness, say, as standard High German does throughout Europe.

Mandarin is not the primary language of Fujian (the area I will visit during the Horner Exchange). It's Min.  Yet, most language learning tools I've found only cover Mandarin.

Normally, before any trip, I study the language, dip my toes in the water at least enough to say Thank You and Where's the bathroom? I also rely on my, if I do say so myself, strong ability to learn a language in situ and communicate via a combination of clowning and telepathy.

But China... What I've heard from friends who have gone before me, is that no matter how much or how little they studied before the trip, once there, it was if they had done nothing. If that's the case, I'm seriously thinking about just winging it.

Thoughts?