TIC
I’m sorry that I’ve been a bit lax with the updates lately but, to tell the truth, the onset of cold weather has turned me into a bit of a slug. It hasn’t been helped by the fact that my internet connection and therefore my computer are located on a closed off balcony; sort of nice little, heat-free zone.
I also find that I’ve become somewhat acclimatized to China and that many of the things which would once send me scrambling to write about no longer provoke so much as an arched eyebrow. It seems that as a way of preserving sanity, foreigners gradually develop a non-chalant shoulder shrug when confronted with something they can’t make sense of. Whereas new arrivals will simultaneously scratch and shake their heads, mumbling and sometimes ranting about irritants such as “Why does my bacon come 10 minutes after my eggs?”, veterans of a year or more will just grunt and say “TIC” (This is China) as if that is all the explanation necessary. It covers a wide territory and saves a lot of wear and tear on the scalp.
Offsetting this sense of blasé is the gradual sense of belonging, or at least acceptance. You get that first hint after you frequent a restaurant or a shop for a few months and people warm up to you a little, but I’m finding it to be much stronger later on. Perhaps because so many of the foreigners here leave after six months or a year they are treated somewhat like transients, politely but with a lack of warmth. You’re expected to leave soon, so why should they bother?
Lately, for no particular reason, I’ve stopped in a few places after several months’ absence. The response practically floored me. A waitress made a production of giving me a good seat, asking why I haven’t been around and bringing newer staff over to introduce them, making sure they understand what I like. The staff at the liquor store gave me the same royal treatment. (The fact that they all wear little “Catholic school-girl” skirts just made it seem that much more special.) Of course, part of it is due to the fact that I am now able to say a little more than hello, goodbye and make a left turn, but it is truly warming. As are numerous wishes of a Merry Christmas from people who don’t celebrate it.
Some Miscellaneous Tidbits
LD (my female companion and torturer) recently told me, with a loving look in her eyes, that she loved spending time with me. She then went on to say that whenever she’s feeling down, I never fail to make her feel smart. Ouch!
Our textbooks are getting a little more interesting. One recent text listed different methods of relieving stress. One man went on to say that he preferred to go out with the boys to casinos and brothels, but that his wife, for some reason, always gives him a hard time about it. I wonder if “whorehouse” will be on the test?
How many years does it take to trust a computer? I recently stopped at the Post Office to pay my water and phone bills. All pertinent information came up on the clerk’s computer screen and the payments were entered. She then proceeded to use an abacus to double-check the figures on the screen.
Pepsi brand athletic socks?
English sign above urinal: Target Correctly! The accompanying picture of a pair of scissors was a little intimidating.
Recent issues with Chinese food and product safety have caused the inevitable backlash of attention to American products, sometimes to a ridiculous extent. I gave up trying to convince a taxi driver that Americans do not use super growth hormones that enable our chickens to reach full adulthood in one week. He had read it and therefore it had to be true.
To Family and Friends Alike:
Merry Christmas!
I also find that I’ve become somewhat acclimatized to China and that many of the things which would once send me scrambling to write about no longer provoke so much as an arched eyebrow. It seems that as a way of preserving sanity, foreigners gradually develop a non-chalant shoulder shrug when confronted with something they can’t make sense of. Whereas new arrivals will simultaneously scratch and shake their heads, mumbling and sometimes ranting about irritants such as “Why does my bacon come 10 minutes after my eggs?”, veterans of a year or more will just grunt and say “TIC” (This is China) as if that is all the explanation necessary. It covers a wide territory and saves a lot of wear and tear on the scalp.
Offsetting this sense of blasé is the gradual sense of belonging, or at least acceptance. You get that first hint after you frequent a restaurant or a shop for a few months and people warm up to you a little, but I’m finding it to be much stronger later on. Perhaps because so many of the foreigners here leave after six months or a year they are treated somewhat like transients, politely but with a lack of warmth. You’re expected to leave soon, so why should they bother?
Lately, for no particular reason, I’ve stopped in a few places after several months’ absence. The response practically floored me. A waitress made a production of giving me a good seat, asking why I haven’t been around and bringing newer staff over to introduce them, making sure they understand what I like. The staff at the liquor store gave me the same royal treatment. (The fact that they all wear little “Catholic school-girl” skirts just made it seem that much more special.) Of course, part of it is due to the fact that I am now able to say a little more than hello, goodbye and make a left turn, but it is truly warming. As are numerous wishes of a Merry Christmas from people who don’t celebrate it.
Some Miscellaneous Tidbits
LD (my female companion and torturer) recently told me, with a loving look in her eyes, that she loved spending time with me. She then went on to say that whenever she’s feeling down, I never fail to make her feel smart. Ouch!
Our textbooks are getting a little more interesting. One recent text listed different methods of relieving stress. One man went on to say that he preferred to go out with the boys to casinos and brothels, but that his wife, for some reason, always gives him a hard time about it. I wonder if “whorehouse” will be on the test?
How many years does it take to trust a computer? I recently stopped at the Post Office to pay my water and phone bills. All pertinent information came up on the clerk’s computer screen and the payments were entered. She then proceeded to use an abacus to double-check the figures on the screen.
Pepsi brand athletic socks?
English sign above urinal: Target Correctly! The accompanying picture of a pair of scissors was a little intimidating.
Recent issues with Chinese food and product safety have caused the inevitable backlash of attention to American products, sometimes to a ridiculous extent. I gave up trying to convince a taxi driver that Americans do not use super growth hormones that enable our chickens to reach full adulthood in one week. He had read it and therefore it had to be true.
To Family and Friends Alike:
Merry Christmas!
