More Brothels, please.

One of my favorite activities to do with my Conversational English classes is the “election” lesson.

Before you even think it, this is NOT a political lesson; it really does get them into conversation mode quite easily.

I break up the class into small groups, and ask them to pick a name for their group, and who will lead their group.

Then I have them come up with their ideas of what they would do to either make BoHai University or China, even better. (I always stress that I am not saying that they are BAD, I just want them to tell us what they would do to make things better.)

The teaching style in China is based on “the group”. Loyalty issues in the classroom can cause them to be quite silent when it comes to conversations. By breaking them up into groups that may come up with different ideas, it really does get them going.

It also allows me to understand my students better, by showing me what they are concerned about; both in China and at BoHai University.

I will walk around the room, making sure they are at least TRYING to speak in English, and helping them with any problems they might have.

Towards the end of class, each of the “leaders” will come up and give a speech. This can be quite entertaining. It also helps me pick out some of the problems that occur with many of the student’s use of English.

Before this current weeks vacation, I did this with one class, and the result had me in tears.

One of the groups had four girls and one boy. They selected the boy as their leader.

As I was walking by, I noticed that one of the girls was using her electronic dictionary to look up some English words. There, on the screen, I saw the word “Brothel”. I snickered a little bit, and imagined that they were going to push for closing brothels in China. She quickly covered up the dictionary and smiled.

Most often, even though there are only a few boys in each class, when the girls pick them as leaders, the boys will become dominant. This did NOT happen with this group.

He went up and said EXACTLY what he was told to say, by the girls.

And, what did these sweet, innocent, young girls want to do, to make China a better place???

More “brothels”, where women are the customers.
More gambling places, where women are the customers.
More massage parlors, where women are the customers.
Make the men more subservient to the women.

I could not help but cover my mouth and laugh, as I watched this boy tell the class that, as president, he was going to do these things to make China a better place.

The end result of the election, although done by secret ballot, still went right back to popularity, and the feeling that the girls should always support the boys. Since “the group” is held in such high regards, I always tell them that they are not allowed to vote for their own group.

The group which won, was the sole “male” group in class; and their whole platform was on pushing for more professional sports teams.

It’s “That time of the month” again…

Yes, time for yet another installment in my ongoing battle with stomatological paroxysms… or… Tooth pains… teeth pains… tooth… ohhh, whatever.

It really is amazing to live in a place where dentists actually do care about your financial situation. But, today, I opted out of the cheaper “extraction”, and went for the customary root canal/crown.

As I was laying there, getting my second injection of Novocain (always two), a little boy who I had said hello to earlier, popped his head around the corner and said, “GIVE ME A SMILE!!! Don’t cry!”

I had to laugh at this.

As I was waiting for my head to go numb, the boy and his mother stood there talking to me. She had him open his mouth and show me his teeth.

I was sitting there thinking, “Yep… ok… he has teeth.”
Then, I thought, “Wow, those are the whitest teeth I have seen on a kid here.”
Then I thought, “He seems to have an awful lot of teeth.”
Then I realized… he had a second row of bottom teeth.

That was the strangest thing I have seen in a long time.

He was there to get them… removed.

When he finally went to get them done, he was screaming. I wanted to say “GIVE ME A SMILE! Don’t cry!” but I knew he was preoccupied.

The weird thing was… I thought he was crying while getting an injection; because it only lasted about 15 seconds. But… that was not the case; they actually yanked those things out.

Every dentist I have been to, in China, says that my teeth are “different”, that the roots are much longer. I guess that kids teeth must have been either baby teeth, or very short roots.

Since every dentist has said this about my teeth, I now understand why I am always offering to pay for a second injection. The amount they give me is never enough… and, anyone who has been through enough root canals can tell you, you want it to be numb. We are not talking about drilling a hole; we are talking about physically removing the nerve.

So far… the count is 4 root canals/crowns and one filling. (In China).

Having cracked all of my teeth (yes all), I know it is a matter of time. I think I will just stay in China where I can get them done cheaply. Yes… that is it; I will plan my stay in China, around my dental problems.

And, for those of you who believe that dental work in China is substandard… you have not been here. You CAN get normal, quality dental work done in China. YES, there are places that would bring a tear to the eye of Joseph Mengele, but those are pretty obvious.

When a man, standing outside of his shop, will advertise by showing you a pile of teeth he has pulled… you should think twice about using his skills.

****Oh… and, speaking of Mengele…

Looks like one former Nazi Youth, has returned home…

(The Pope at Auschwitz)

Borders.

“ President Bush met with the Prime Minister of Israel, who told Bush that he intended to defend Israel's borders. When he heard this, Bush said, 'You mean you have trouble with Mexicans, too?' ”

(Conan O'Brien)

You would think they would start catching on…

I call this picture… Oreolinolio.

First… it was an American Classic.

Then… it was a “Pandemic Cookie”.

pan·dem·ic (pǎn-děm’ǐk)
adj.
.....1. Widespread; general.
.....2. Medicine. Epidemic over a wide geographic area and affecting a large proportion of the population: pandemic influenza.


Now… it’s an “Occident Favorite Cookie”.

oc·ci·dent (ǒk’s ǐ-dƏnt, -děnt’)
n.
.....1. Western lands or regions; the west.
.....2. Occident The countries of Europe and the Western Hemisphere.


Yes, China is really out to protect Intellectual Property Rights.

Next up… Coke-a-Colra.

Home...

I miss my home.

Click here for music.

It’s just another day…

Living in northeast China, the amount of social ineptitude can be astounding. Most of it, however, can be chalked up to the fact that there are so few foreigners here. Anyone who has spent any time north of the Yangtze River knows of what I speak, and we have all grown thick skins against it.

Staring is as common as the rising of the sun. The several hundred calls of “外国人!” (Foreigner), have become as innocuous as the calls of birds. The same multitude of loud voices screaming “Hello-ah!” has turned many polite foreigners into non-caring people; where most of us were raised to reply with a “Hello” we tend to totally ignore it now.

I’ve learned that, no matter how obnoxious the stare might be, to remove my glasses, stand up straight, and stair right back at them, without blinking, usually does the trick when trying to get them to leave. (Now, obviously, this is only done to those who sit there for five minutes looking at you like you just arrived from Mars.)

But, then there are the incidents like what happened this evening…

Bryan and I went to the largest supermarket in town. Bryan, having dreadlocks, is also accustomed to having people point, stare, and even walk up and grab his hair (yes… this happens on a constant basis… literally.)

As we were in the produce section, I kept hearing these two women cackling like witches over a pot of brew. Then, I noticed that they had a man with them. This guy was following us around and just staring at us. The women were pointing and laughing at Bryan.

The man was in typical 东北 (Northeast) summer fashion. He had a pair of khaki pants on, and a sleeveless khaki vest on, with nothing underneath. Of course, to be in true 东北 (Northeast) fashion, he had to have the vest unbuttoned completely, so that he could rub his stomach as he walked (normally, this is done with a pull over shirt, with the bottom rolled up until it is under their arms, for better access to rub the stomach).

I looked at Bryan, and said, “Yes, they are with this fine specimen of a man, but they are laughing at us.”

Bryan also made a comment regarding the man, once he realized that he had been following us, just to stand and stare, while his “lady folk” cackled like hens.

Bryan headed to the checkout area of the produce section, and this is when I realized that it was he they had been laughing at. These women would not let up. The odd thing was, not another person batted an eye in astonishment at the actions of these women.

Finally, I came up behind Bryan, turned to look at these women, and in the loudest way I could, gave them a continuous belly laugh, until they looked a little taken back. I then stopped, and in the most straight faced way, said “我们不是猴子!” (“We are not monkeys!”) At this point, everyone around them started laughing.

I hate having to be a 礼貌老师 (Politeness Teacher) in China, but I find myself doing it more and more.

More often than not, I give lessons at checkout lines. I have spoken before, of the preoccupation that many Chinese have for breaking in line.

I think I have said “我是英语老师…我不是你的礼貌老师! 你知道你的妈妈告诉你这是不礼貌!” ("I am an English teacher... I am not your politeness teacher. You know your mother told you that is impolite!") On more occasions than I can count. (And, yes, I know my Chinese grammar is horrid, but they get the picture.)

I also got another group of people laughing at a man today, when it came to Chinese interactions with foreigners.

I go to the antiques market on a fairly regular basis. But this time, they had opened the second floor, and it was my first trip up there.

Most of the people on the first floor have become accustomed to my presence, so the price gouging has dwindled to what Chinese people would have to start haggling with.

But, when I got to the second floor, it was amazing. I had almost forgotten how stupid some people think foreigners are. EVERYTHING I pointed at and asked “多少钱?” ("How much?") came back with a reply that ended in “…千块” (Thousands)

Since I frequent the place, my approach is to always just say”谢谢你” ("Thank you.") and walk away. This lets them know that I KNOW they are trying to stiff me, and they realize that they have lost a sale. It also makes them lose a little face. They will always come running to me, asking me what I would pay for it, but I always just reply “不要, 谢谢.” ("I don't want it, thanks.")

It lets them know that, next time, they need to start acting a little normal.

Today, I had a man do it, with something that should have cost me about 50元, but he said 6,000. I must admit, I did give a scoff as I walked off. He was right there after me, trying to get me to buy it, asking me what I would pay for it. That is when I broke into the, “我不是外国人，我是锦州人。我是渤海大学英语老师。你认为我不知道那个是五十块? 我给你一块.” (I'm not a foreigner, I am from JinZhou. I am an English teacher at BoHai University. You think I don't know that is 50 Yuan? I'll give you 1 Yuan.") Everyone around him started laughing.

I did break down and buy something for way more than what it was worth, but it is the only one I have found. It was a little pin with both the American and Chinese flags on it. I should not have paid more than 一块 (1 Yuan) for it, but I paid 三块 (3 Yuan). It is on my hat now.

For my siblings:

Think back… 1976… summertime in New England… the back yard… dark blue sky… sun setting… the sprinkler… Mom’s potato salad… and, Dad’s barbequed chicken.

I have found that chicken. There is one place in JinZhou that has matched it exactly. I go there often.

There is only one problem… This sign is posted inside.

I’m starting to wonder if it is really chicken I am eating, and if I should be worried about spending too much time in there.

Sex.

Sex sex sex sex sex sex sex… and, in case you missed it… Sex.

This post is for parents… single, couples, with daughters or sons.

To look away at the thoughts of someone who may not have a wife or children, out of some misconception that they “just don’t understand” is utter cattle scat.

First, let me address the mothers. When it comes to your boys, LEAVE THEM ALONE. If your six year old is becoming curious about himself, do not apply your conceptions of a 30 year old man to him. HE IS A CHILD. Embarrassing a child, when it comes to something that will be a part of his/her being, later in life, can really f-ck them up royally.

I will admit something, something that is quite hard for me to admit, but it is the way I was raised, and the notion of sexuality, that has caused me to remain single, and will cause me to remain single for the rest of my life.

I can put the blame of that, squarely on the head of my mother. I love the woman, but in this area of child rearing, she failed miserably with me.

To this day, I cannot put love and sex into the same category. They are two separate things. For this reason, love has eluded me. I am, an incurable “horn-dog”.

My sister once asked me about her 6 year old son; at the time, she saw him in his sisters closet, with all of her Barbie dolls stripped down to nothing. She said, “I don’t know what to do!” I replied, “NOTHING!”

From the first time I climbed the basketball goalpost in grammar school, I realized there was something different about an area of my body. Yet, I fell into the category of “too young to explain”. So, I was left up to my own devices.

Slowly, I realized there was something different about girls… and, again, I was still in the “too young category”. Eventually, even the Sears & Roebuck catalog made me wonder what was going on.

But, what did this result in? Total ANGER by my mother. This type of situation arose throughout my burgeoning adolescence. And, with each instance, I received the same negative psychological reinforcement from my mother.

The only time my father explained the “Facts of life” was after I started to inundate my parents with the question of, “If God can do anything, what if he made me pregnant and I had a child, could I keep it.” Eventually, the thought of me asking my teachers made them give in and explain it to me.

I really do pity my father having to fumble through this explanation to a child who was too young to understand. But, in his explanation, he left out a great many details.

My parents were almost puritanical when it came to “sex”. Any of my siblings will tell you that it was only on rare occasions that we actually saw any physical contact between our parents. So, the idea of speaking of sex was way out of bounds.

Any time my mother felt I had crossed the line, for example, finding a negligee section from a catalog folded and hidden in my room, the resulting firestorm was worse than if I had robbed a bank. And I am not blowing that out of proportion. She would have no problem is expressing her anger to the rest of the neighborhood, just to make me that much more embarrassed.

Yes, obviously, in later years, the things I would keep in my room were a little more risqué than a page from a catalog. But the results were the same.

Nobody EVER sat down and really TALKED about sex and relationships with me.

Growing up, I had to figure most everything out myself. But, the common thoughts were “Good girls don’t, bad girls do.” So… as years pressed on, you can imagine which type of girls I started looking for.

But, having been raised a “good kid”, the bad girls were not the ones I really wanted to be around quite often. So, I ended up finding the “dumb” girls. (My family can attest to this.)

Look, the bottom line is this. Talk to your kids. Sex is NOT a bad thing. Even OUT of marriage, it is not a BAD thing. (Religious beliefs aside).

I dare any couple of religious upbringing, to tell me they have never had sex that was not just for the simple act of getting “hot and heavy”. If you say you have not, you are a liar, plain and simple.

Yes, sex is a beautiful thing, but it is also a damned nice thing to do. It is NOT just out there for procreation. Otherwise, my parents have sinned a great deal.

Talk to your kids. Explain to them your thoughts, but be honest with them. Kids ARE smart, and yes, kids will experiment. No, you may not want them to do this, but they will figure things out as they grow. To simply make it a bad thing, in which they are supposed to realize that it is good, only once they get married, can scar them beyond belief.

I see this so much in China now. Women instigate 70% of the affairs in China. Why, because they are not satisfied sexually. Why are they not satisfied? Well, because they have been raised under the misconception that it is a DUTY they must perform, regardless of how they feel.

Parents do not talk about it to their children. I’d say that even more Chinese are learning about sex from pornography than children in the west. Either way, that is NOT the place to learn it.

A boy who grows up, just as I had, will think of only one thing when it comes to his first sexual encounter, and the preceding encounters… copulation. They pay no mind to the woman, they are out there to finish a goal they have been wishing to attain for quite some time. It is THEN, that the woman turns into a piece of meat.

By the time I left home, my mother had me thinking I was nothing but a waste of human flesh, when it came to matters of love, relationships, and sex.

And, to be honest, I am, to a point. But, I can honestly say, it was from her actions that I became this way.

I cannot, for the life of me, look at a woman as anything other than a sexual object, the first time I look at her. I break women into two categories, ones I would, and ones I would not.

I can recall discussing this with my counselor, before I left for China. I walked in, explained it to her, and said, “Even you… as soon as I walked in, it was ‘wow, look at those white stockings, long black hair…’” She laughed, but she understood. And, she understood the total irritation this caused me in life. It is a burden… honestly. It keeps me from ever obtaining peace when it comes to relationships.

My sole purpose is to look for that one thing… relationships come after the fact.

But, as anyone can tell you, sex and relationships are two different things. Sex and love are two different things.

But, when you start breaking people into those two categories, you end up missing out on a lot.

Then, if you happen to find someone that you might love, you feel that that love is greater than the act of sex. But, you know yourself, you know that sex is a large driving factor. So, to spare that person from your wanton acts, you drive them away.

This is what my life has become.

The only way I could marry, is to find a nymphomaniac who wishes to have children, and a normal home. But those are mutually exclusive.

I am 37, my parents do not kid themselves into thinking I am still a virgin. But I truly wish they had talked to me about it in a way that was not so vocally negative.

Smoking dope… yes, scream and yell. Sex? A natural thing, that DID result in my existence, cannot be written off as something evil.

When it comes to your children, explain to them the differences between love and lust. It would help them a lot more than just silence.

Explain to your daughters that boys ARE going to try, they WILL fill their ears with sweet things, just to get to the goal. But, teach them how to look for love that THEY want. Not to accept the love that a boy tries to put on them. So many girls just “give in” out of misconception of love. Explain to them that, yes, the first time might hurt, but that does not mean that sex is a painful thing that they must endure at the hands of their husbands. So many young girls feel this way, and are SCARED of sex.

If they are scared at a young age… it does not diminish over time. And, if they do eventually start to figure it out… the person they have been with, is not going to be the one they are going to really enjoy having it with, because of all the negative thoughts that have gone along with it.

And, when it comes to your sons, tell them that girls WILL ALSO fill their ears with sweet words, into bringing them into their view of love. Explain to them to separate their feelings of lust and love.

Girls try to trap into love, boys try to trap into bed. It is the happy medium that you should be discussing with your children. And KEEP discussing with them. Do not set RULES, just TALK.

It is these two reasons that there are so many divorces today.

Whether it is the girl, trying to change the man to fit her ideal of a perfect man, or a man trying to find the “Madonna/whore”, both are crippling what love is all about.

This next part will be the most disgusting thing I will ever write on my blog. But, when my brother was talking to me, days before his wedding, questioning his feelings, I gave him a bit of advice that I think was far more beneficial than anything my parents had ever told me when it came to understanding love and lust. I told him, “Well, tonight… think about her and (insert word for self-gratification here), if, when you are finished, you still cannot get her out of your mind, you know it is more than just lust.

I know, many of you will disagree with that, but… if he had finished, and cared less about her, my advice would have helped him that much more.

I’ve come to the conclusion in life, that love is not about to happen to me anytime soon. I’ve become institutionalized to being on my own.

No child should have to learn from “Show me yours and I’ll show you mine”.
No child should have to learn from a porno tape.
No child should have to learn from their friends in the playground.
No child should have to learn from seeing only half of love from their parents.

Open up with your children. Explain to them. Hey, Sex feels good. But, it is MUCH better with someone you love. If you decide to try before marriage, be responsible.

But always look for the good in someone, their personality, their likes, dislikes, habits. These are the things you should look at first… not their bubble gum but and large breasts.

If all you ever do is tell your children that they cannot put their hand in the cookie jar, yet they know what cookies are… eventually they will put their hand in there. You just have not explained the reasons you do not wish for them to eat them right now.

Do the same with sex.

Do not turn your children into monstrously confused beings who cannot even conceive of the notion of a real relationship.

I have a girl who loves me right now, and the only thing holding me back, is the fact that I know she has never had a boyfriend, and that she is a virgin. I have the sense of decency that my parents gave me, but it is also keeping me away from something that could be a great relationship. I just cannot get past the sex issue. I do not want to be the one to spoil her… if that were the result.

But, I can honestly say, I become bored at the actions of "dating". For me, the end result is what I am looking for. But, I do believe that love and sex can go together. I just feel that keeping them separate is telling me that you do not fully love me. So, to sit there for months of nothing but walks in the park, dinners, and quiet conversation, is nothing more than drawing out the inevitable.

And, things are not helped, when I am asked by female students, for money in exchage for sexual favors. And, YES, this does happen, on SEVERAL occasions. (I do keep every SMS message that arrives like that, just to cover my butt if anyone ever tries to throw it back at me. And, no, I do not take them up on it.) I have learned one truth in my life, no matter how many times girls turn down boys... if it is ever reversed, and a boy turns down a girl... they can become the most, vindictive evil monsters known to mankind.

(But, there is a plus side for guys when it comes to this. Turning down a woman who has offered herself to you... freely... is the most liberating feeling you will ever come across. Men are the objects of rejection on a daily basis. Women are in no way accustomed to this... the results can be somewhat satisfying for a man. Women will sit there and look at you like, "You just made me feel worthless and unwanted." Hey, try being a guy once in a while.)

So… I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite songs…

“… I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there…”

That, if you know the song, is the way I feel, a great deal of the time.

Just talk to your kids. Don't punish them for natural feelings.

The art of Chinese Knot tying.

I’ve neglected to inform the readers of my blog, that I have come into a new hobby (somewhat by force) since my arrival in China… The art of Chinese Knot tying.

For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is an age old custom in which people tie intricate knots for decoration. An example of this can be seen here…


There is a common misconception in the “West” that this takes a lot of practice and training; nothing could be further from the truth.

In China, they have machines to do this. An example of this machine can be seen here…

Now, to the untrained eye, this might look like a washing machine… Nope.

First, you take cloth that is very important to you, and that cost you a lot of money, and put it into Receptacle A. The amount of cloth you put into the machine is usually indicated by a label, and usually represents the weight of a gnat breathing helium. Then, you add enough water to cover your cloth… about a tablespoon full.

You then use Control B to tell the machine how intricate you wish the knots to be.

Once the machine has finished the initial phase of tying the knot, you then place the knotted material into Receptacle B. This is where it is spun, at the rate an elephant can spin on one leg, until the knot is finished.

Now, be warned, there are some knot tying machines that only come with Receptacle A. These will only lessen the desired result.

I now have SEVERAL Chinese knots hanging, in decoration, in my room.

(And, I have found another use for these machines… they can help you attain this fashion style from the 80’s, whenever you insert any t-shirt into Receptacle A.)

How to cause a foreigner, living in China, to go insane (Part I)

Step One: Call the local Party headquarters in the town which the foreigner lives, and demand that they require every shop to play this song more often.

Click here to listen.

(Oh yeah, it’s nice… the first 10,000 times you hear it.)
Step Two: (I do not know if this is a Chinese thing, 东北 thing, JinZhou thing, or BoHai University thing.)

For male foreigners, tell girls to randomly ask them if they are going to buy them half a watermelon.
For female foreigners, tell boys to randomly ask them if they can buy them half a watermelon.

This is the most bizarre thing I have come across. Girls will either put on doe eyes and say, “Do you want to buy me half a watermelon?” or they will act excited and say, “A boy bought me half a watermelon!”

They do this in the same tone as one would if they were talking about a rose.

Is there some strange correlation between love and watermelons here, which eludes me?

Let me get this straight...

The “Holy See”, a minority group of people who are appointed from within, to dictate to the masses, the ideals in which they see fit (regardless of the wishes of the masses they represent), does not condone the current appointment of bishops in the Chinese Catholic Church… because they were installed by the Communist party… a minority group of people who are appointed from within, to dictate to the masses, the ideals in which they see fit (regardless of the wishes of the masses they represent).

And they do not condone it, because they believe that the Communist Party is manipulating the masses through appointing someone with the ideals that they see fit (regardles…

Ok, wait, someone help me out here.

Ummm… Ummm... Communism… Catholicism… Do I see a resemblance here?

And, before you start hyperventilating…

Mao was not God… and the Pope wasn’t appointed by him either.

One day, I wish that Catholics will be able to have the right to interpret the Bible the way they wish.
One day, I wish that Chinese will be able to have the right to worship in the way they wish.

I was glad to hear Premier Wen JiaBao speak earlier this week, urging the pursuit of Democracy in China (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-05/05/content_582850.htm), at least the Communist Party understands the need for the people to have a voice.

In regards to me teeth…

Regardless of what General Jack Ripper, from Dr. Strangelove, thinks… I wish there really was fluoridation of water here in China.

General Jack D. General Ripper: Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.
General Jack D. General Ripper: Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Well, I can't say I have.

Just a few things.

Recently, some of my teeth have been hurting again. I’ve written about my cracked teeth on several occasions, so I won’t go into that in any detail now.

After eating some wonderful Korean BBQ, I was taking a walk with a friend and the pain started up again. I popped two Chinese aspirin, which anyone will tell you, can make the pain of an amputated leg go away. And we kept walking. My friend persuaded me that it was much better to go to the dentist, than to make myself sick from a weeks worth of Chinese aspirin, so I decided to have it looked at.

The only real problem with having cracked teeth, is not knowing exactly which tooth is the culprit. Sometimes, one can cause a phantom pain in another tooth. I thought it was one of my lower molars, but I was unsure. I went to the same great dentist in town (I really do like this place). He started in on his tapping and question asking, and we were just not sure as to which tooth was the troublemaker. I KNOW I was in pain, but who wants to spend money in a hit-or-miss dental procedure?

After a while, he took out the “pointed thing of death”, that all dentists have, and he did something that made me fly out of the chair. When they asked if it hurt, I just gave them a “Oh, no, not at all” response, to which they all got a good laugh at.

The whole time, I was apologizing, because I knew I felt a bit of corn husk from the popcorn I had been eating, lodged between my teeth.

Well, it seems that was no piece of popcorn. He handed me the mirror, and what I saw, just had me sitting there repeating, “Oh my GOD!”

After seeing it, I don’t know why he even tapped at my teeth or asked me questions, it was pretty obvious to me.

I have not had a cavity in my teeth since my teenage years. Regardless of the cracked teeth, I like to take comfort in the fact that I keep pretty good care of my teeth. I guess I got lax.

There, around the remnants of an old filling, which had half fallen out, was the blackest, ugliest, largest hole I have ever seen. HOW could I miss this? Well, I have basically given in to the fact that my dental practices have been enough, and I don’t really take the time to LOOK at my MOLARS. Besides, with all those cracked teeth, I just figured it was one of them causing the problem.

I’m not making this up… it was like “Third world child who has never seen a toothbrush” type of cavity. Seriously gross.

It has honestly been so long since I have had a cavity, that I LITERALLY got scared that my mother would be angry. That thought entered my mind, for longer than you would think, before the realization that I was no longer a child, hit me.

Just to be on the safe side, “Mom, the filling only cost me $10 US dollars. I’ll pay out of my allowance.”

*******

The other day, I was walking with the same friend, at the main train station in the center of the city. The streets and the station were packed with people, heading out for the May holiday. As usual, I became the object of several peoples attention. Because, as we all know, a foreigner at the train station MUST be a tourist.

As I usually do, I started talking to a child and his mother, which made her day. I love children, and I always want them to think of foreigners as nice, not some monsters that never talk to them.

Having been talking to the child, people had accumulated around, to look and listen to the foreigner. For the most part, these groups are wonderful, having nothing but good intentions in mind. Whenever someone asks me where I am from, I immediately reply, “我是锦州人” or “I am a JinZhou native” which always makes them laugh. This time, the laugh was on them, because as soon as I started to walk away, my little sister, whose parents run a fruit stand outside of the university, came sprinting towards me yelling my name. As soon as she got to me, she was right into my arms, kissing my cheek. She and her family were getting ready to take a train trip to see some family, for the vacation. The group that was laughing, moments before, was now awestruck.

Not only was I extremely happy to see my little friend, but to see her under those circumstances, made it that much more enjoyable.

For Her.

For her.