User Comments - mei4li4
mei4li4
Posted on: Too Picky
January 12, 2008 at 3:34 PMWhen I traveled last year, our group had a very charming man named Larry, whose good nature stopped us from leaving him behind when he explained to us at the start that he "Really hated Chinese food!" He bravely tried everything during the trip, and finally gave in when he was served a 'hamburger and fries' in Dali. It was far worse than anything he had eaten yet.
Posted on: Handsome Boy
December 23, 2007 at 3:03 PMA small story, While in Xian I had to visit a hospital with my guide to get an ultrasound for kidney stones. It was a military hospital where not many foreigners would go. I am small and red haired and very pale and my guide was a tall strapping man. I overheard two very elderly ladies laughing and giggling in a corner (because there are people in every corner at all hours) they were saying (thinking I could neither hear nor understand) "ahhh, look at that handsome young man with his foreign girl, going into 'there' (ultra sound)...something something, BABY..." My guide was very busy staring at the ceiling and I was laughing so hard and trying not to, I thought they would have to bring in a stretcher.
Posted on: Just Say Yes
November 27, 2007 at 9:34 PMThis is officially my first response after lurking for ever-so-long. I've just returned from my first trip to China and while I was sitting in the airport in Chicago I met an older man from Beijing. We started to chat and were laughing about the current verbal tick of 对 对 对....对. He said when he was younger everyone said "mei you guanxi...mei you guanxi..." kind of like a whine or excuse to not do something. I got by on lots of Ahs and 对s or hao3. These made me sound like I understood waaayyy more than I do!
Posted on: The Non-Chinese Speaking Tourist and Toilets
January 12, 2008 at 3:52 PMI was blessed with a UTI when I first arrived which made it impossible to squat and go, the result was a visit to a military hospital. (Which is a very entertaining story on its own) I had to not squat the whole time and did manage it but it was difficult. We had no trouble at all just saying "Western?" at any public restroom and an attendant or another visitor would say yes or no. We also discovered that many Chinese 'Handicapped' restroom stalls were sit-toilets. On the other hand, when we did discover some sit toilets they were being used for storage rooms (no water). The worst we came across were bad not because of filth, they were quite lovely, but the stalls were not divided and they were basically outside in freezing temps. Can you say "Shy Bladders?"