It was a gorgeous day, sun shining and a rare 60 degrees outside. I couldn’t resist taking a walk down to the corner market to pick up some veggies and eggs for brownies this week. I also needed to walk to the big (20,000 student) university down the street to pick up some pictures I had developed there.
So, contrary to the advice given during training, I popped my earbuds in my ear and started one of the playlists Hank gave me. There is nothing quite like walking through the streets of China with Katie Herzig singing in your ears, while you wave ‘Ni Haio,’ at the over happy guards on the street in front of the super-ritz western apartments, wearing their long red trench coats. They wave “hello,” back and gawk at your western big nose and big ahem.. curves. (well, its true) In fact, it helps to have love songs playing in your ears when you get gawked at by almost every man you pass, not because you are beautiful, but because you are different.
I get to the store and meander through the small aisles with a giddy smile on my face- way to happy to pick out cucumber, carrots and cabbage for my pancit. I get to the front and pay only to realize I have forgotten to weigh the apples. Jack Johnson, thank you for making this moment one of delight. As the lady at the check out hands me my bag of apples, I smile and walk back to the man at the scale. I give him a ‘Oh well, I am a dumb westerner’ smile and he weighs my apples. 4 rmb- 70 cents for 3. Not bad.
I walk back to the front with a skip in my step, praising my father to the sound of ‘Banana Pancakes” and Jack Johnson’s Hawaiian voice.
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