Random events of yesterday
Feb. 6th, 2007 07:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizzybennetI said my first Chinese sentence yesterday to a stranger. I've said things to Chris or Zou, but never just to a random person. I was riding home in a taxi and I had been practicing the sentence "My husband is an American teacher." in my mind so I could say it to the guard at the campus front gate. Taxis aren't suppose to go onto campus and the guards often give us a hard time. However, this time they just waved me in and I didn't get a chance to say my sentence. Instead, I turned and said it to the taxi driver AND he understood me!
While I was in line at the grocery store the person behind me kept trying to crowd in front of me. This is pretty common as the concept of waiting in line is fairly new to China. Most people prefer to push their way to the front and it's every man (woman) for themselves. This cultural difference is one that really seems to bother most Americans that I know. After all, we've been raised since childhood not to cut in line, right? We have to wait our turn. But, if you politely wait your turn here, you won't get a turn. So, this guy is crowding ahead of me because he has a grocery cart and I only have a little basket. If I'd had a cart, I could have held my place better. Also, his girlfriend has gone ahead and is standing right next to the register. When It comes to my turn she grabs his cart as if she's going to pull it to the register. I say (too loudly, and in English) "it's my turn next!". The girl friend nods and everyone in line turns to look at me, baffled. You see, they don't understand what the big deal is. If someone cuts in line in front of one of them, they just wait without getting mad. They probably wondered what I was getting all my feathers ruffled about :) Uh, I'd been waiting in line for 10 minutes and I wanted to go next!
Zou spoiled Josie rotten this weekend. She must have let her sleep wherever she wanted at night because she's barked all night long when we closed her up in her room last night. She had been over this habit before we left. She also fed her a lot of milk. When Zou arrived yesterday and saw that we were out of milk, she was dismayed for the puppy's sake. She told Chris that Josie won't drink water anymore, she only drinks milk. Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm very thankful Zou agreed to watch Josie because I didn't relish the thought of sending her to a kennel. Also, Zou must have bathed her because she was much cleaner than when we sent her. She's such a friendly dog. Have I mentioned that she seems to prefer Chinese people? I often wonder if she can tell the difference and also what language does she understand?
While I was in line at the grocery store the person behind me kept trying to crowd in front of me. This is pretty common as the concept of waiting in line is fairly new to China. Most people prefer to push their way to the front and it's every man (woman) for themselves. This cultural difference is one that really seems to bother most Americans that I know. After all, we've been raised since childhood not to cut in line, right? We have to wait our turn. But, if you politely wait your turn here, you won't get a turn. So, this guy is crowding ahead of me because he has a grocery cart and I only have a little basket. If I'd had a cart, I could have held my place better. Also, his girlfriend has gone ahead and is standing right next to the register. When It comes to my turn she grabs his cart as if she's going to pull it to the register. I say (too loudly, and in English) "it's my turn next!". The girl friend nods and everyone in line turns to look at me, baffled. You see, they don't understand what the big deal is. If someone cuts in line in front of one of them, they just wait without getting mad. They probably wondered what I was getting all my feathers ruffled about :) Uh, I'd been waiting in line for 10 minutes and I wanted to go next!
Zou spoiled Josie rotten this weekend. She must have let her sleep wherever she wanted at night because she's barked all night long when we closed her up in her room last night. She had been over this habit before we left. She also fed her a lot of milk. When Zou arrived yesterday and saw that we were out of milk, she was dismayed for the puppy's sake. She told Chris that Josie won't drink water anymore, she only drinks milk. Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm very thankful Zou agreed to watch Josie because I didn't relish the thought of sending her to a kennel. Also, Zou must have bathed her because she was much cleaner than when we sent her. She's such a friendly dog. Have I mentioned that she seems to prefer Chinese people? I often wonder if she can tell the difference and also what language does she understand?