In China, it is possible to lock someone in the house. This happened to me the other morning, as in, my roommate locked me inside our apartment. I thought I was going crazy, forgetting how to open the door. Fortunately, I was not losing my mind. The door doesn’t unlock from the inside if it is locked from the outside.
The scariest few moments of my life occur when I am opening the door to a bathroom stall. I am afraid it will reveal a really filthy squat toilet. Or just a squat toilet in general.
The crosswalk between the Gongzhufenbei bus stop and the Gongzhufen subway station entrance is the funnest crosswalk to cross ever. It’s a melee of taxis, buses, cars and cyclists traveling on the side road of Sanhuan Dajie (the third ring) spilling out onto a traffic circle with exits on the left and right. Pedestrians who are thrown into this mess trying to get to the subway station simply take steps wherever there is not a vehicle. It’s a lot like playing Frogger.
I feel like God is making up for all those unfulfilled Chinese food cravings I had back in Chapel Hill. But now I just really want a Krispy Kreme original glazed donut, and the nearest Krispy Kreme is in Korea. Other things I miss: Ben and Jerry’s. Good Internet. My pillow.
My roommate recently informed me that I’ve been sleeping with a towel. I thought it was a blanket, but now that I know it’s a towel, it definitely feels like a towel. And it’s towel-sized. I’m still using it as a blanket, though.
Back home, people treated me like an American: always speaking to me in English, not recognizing that I’m Asian. Here, except for the people at work, everyone speaks to me in Chinese like I’m one of them. It’s a great feeling, and I love talking to people in Chinese with the little Chinese I know. I’m getting the Beijing accent down. “Wei? Ni hao. Zherrrr shirrr shei-ah?” “Qing dai women daor Huar-yuan Qiaor, xibei bian…dui, zai Xisanhuanr.” And I’ll be walking down the streets, seeing all this great food. “Oh, this guy’s selling jiaozi! Oh, he says that’s some yang rou on a stick! Dofu! Ooh, a huoguo dian! That restaurant has Beijing kao ya!” I love being part of the club.
Of course, I’m not part of the club. When I came here with my family, I got a few inquiries about where I was from. This time around, I think it’s pretty obvious. Being with Chris gives it away. I’m not quite sure what Beijingers think when they see us together, though. Guys gawk at me a lot and glare at Chris, but every once in a while, people will glare at me, too. I heard they are more cliquish here than in other cities, so I wonder if they think I shouldn’t be hanging out with the whities.
One thought on “Quick Takes: Observations on the Chinese Way”
I walked into a bathroom stall today and found a toilet about 8 inches off the ground. I’d have had to squat to use it haha.
I walked into a bathroom stall today and found a toilet about 8 inches off the ground. I’d have had to squat to use it haha.