Strange neighbour

August 15^th, 2010

The summer has been full of goodbyes. Friends keep going home to their countries and new friends are slowly trickling in. But China still sucks. The remaining friends sit in a pub and talk about the innumerable ways in which we hate China. The food, yeah I have been ill to my stomach more times than not.  But the biggest hatred of mine is the constant staring and strangers coming up to talk to you. Friday night I totally lost it on this guy who came up to my Chinese friend to ask her how old I was. I had a bit to drink and said what I’ve always wanted to say but couldn’t and it felt good. There are exceptions to every rule but I can’t help but see Chinese people as these lifeless drones without fun and flair living soulless lives totally focused on money. But somehow even if I hate China right now, I love being here. It’s a strange thing to try and explain. I’m happy, but China sucks.

I finally had a break from work. I have had three days off, so of course I have gotten sick. Whenever things calm down for me my immune system breaks down.  

I have written a note to my neighbour and stuck it on his door. I don’t want to spend my limited free time with him. He is a 35 year old Chinese man with a nervous tick who smiles at me awkwardly in the elevator and finally started talking to me a few weeks ago. He can’t speak English so our conversations are very limited. He knows my landlady Xiao Ayi, who by the way has been in the hospital after surgery on her leg. So we talk about her progress and each other’s jobs. Then last weekend, I heard a knock on my door and opened it to see him standing there holding a black baby. I asked him whose baby it was and he said the woman down the hall. The whole thing was rather strange. Then he tells me he likes my nose and his nervous tick kicks in and he starts blinking and squinting in his odd way. He uses the nose compliment as an in to ask me to dinner with him and I, startled, because I never get this kind of attention in China, don’t know what to say and agree. But after thinking about it for a while, I think it’s best that I don’t go. I wrote him a note in Chinese and stuck it on his door. And I’ll run away to Helen’s just in case he comes by.