A New Friend

So--for a little over a week now, all blogger websites have been blocked in China. Unfortunately, that means I haven't had a chance until today to post or check other peoples blogs. I also realized that the most recent blog I wrote was a little bit of a downer. So here's an upper:
This week has been an amazing one. Even though I only have about 12 days before I head home for three weeks, I'm seeing doors of friendship open up all around. Most recently, it's been with a worker at a bubble tea stand. Her name is Hope, and I think her name becomes her. She befriended me one day when I stopped there to buy a drink. She's also interested in English, but isn't at the English "leech" level as we refer to a certain type of over-ambitious language student. She simply knows a few English phrases and will somewhat awkwardly say them out loud before reverting back to Chinese.
The first day we talked, she asked me my English name. I told her and spelled it out for her. Then, on a piece of paper she wrote, "Hope and Portia is good friends." I smile and pointed out the mistake but tried to let her know that she was doing a great job. Yesterday, I stopped and talked with her for awhile again. Everyday, she works approx.12 hours. She said she just has to stand there and is not supposed to read, listen to music, or watch TV. Can you imagine 12 hours of this? She also told me yesterday that she doesn't really have any close friends. We talked about friendship for awhile, and I promised her I'd stop and talk again soon. I'm thinking about Hope today and wondering if I should pay her a visit.

I'd be Rich!

If I had a dollar for every time I was interrupted today, I'd be very rich. What a pity that our ears can not hear two separate conversations at one same time. If our ears could hear two conversations at one time, shouldn't we technically be able to speak twice as much in proportion to the amount of ears that could take in what we were saying?

Why is it that some people are interrupted more than others? Are their thoughts not consistently profound or interesting? And why are some people so insistent that they finish their thought even when they have clearly interrupted someone else. It's like playing verbal chicken. Who is going to back down? Usually, I don't care if I'm interrupted because in general, speaking takes energy. But lately, apart from my parents, no one really seems to want to hear my thoughts, and they're just swimming around up there.

Dear Chinese Friend

Dear Chinese friend,
I do not know yet know enough Chinese to discuss stock markets, economic problems, or swine flu. If you bring up these topics, and I'm staring at you blankly, it's because I have no idea what we are talking about.

Also--reciting ancient Chinese poems at me is not at all helpful to my Chinese study. If you also then insist we act out the ancient Chinese poem, I will be scared to meet with you ever again. Thank you for your consideration.

Portia

On the Bus

Today, I was coming back from Hengyang, on the bus to the Hengyang train station, when a commotion started toward the back of the bus. I really feel anxious when there are these kinds of commotions in China, because I don't know what's going on, and usually after the commotion, people start to stare at the foreigner, almost like they are embarrassed the foreigner witnessed the "commotion."

Today, I witnessed just such a commotion. I'm not exactly sure what was happening, but all the sudden, a middle aged woman started yelling and hitting a man fiercely toward the back of the bus. The bus also happened to stop at that moment. The man quickly got off the bus. Then, I noticed that the women beside me were starting to illustrate how the man was trying to steal from the lady. Apparently, he was using a knife to try and slash through her purse or her pocket to get at her wallet or her phone. Have any of you witnessed something like this before?

As soon after the event happened, I noticed that people started to look at me and say the "wai guo ren" (foreigner) word a lot. I felt a little weird, but I think they were talking about me because I was clearly aware of what was going on, and they felt like it was an embarrassing part of Chinese culture that I had just witnessed. Have any of you ever witnessed something like this in China or in America? What was your experience?

Construction Zone or Prom

I have a new way to look at the construction going on outside our apartment. Recently, they have made our entry ways more "secure" by putting green-mesh around the built up platform. It's like walking through a green tunnel, but something about it reminds me a lot of walking through an archway for our Junior prom. At this particular prom, we had created an archway that had vines and lights lining the top and sides of the entry-way. Each couple had to walk under the archway as they entered the "tropical paradise" which normally served as our school cafeteria.
The green mesh going on right now outside our apartment reminds me so much of walking under the trellis at our Junior prom. The only difference is the theme. Instead of a tropical theme, this is more of a construction work zone theme (which I might add is very creative and original.)