I was running some errands, walking very quickly down a street near the university. I was about to pass a young Chinese girl when she turned and looked at me. Her face lit up and she said hello. Then she told me how happy she was to meet a foreigner and that she thought we should be friends. We walked and talked for about ten minutes, discovering that we’re both 21 years old and in school. Then, she asked for my phone number. I lied and said I don’t have a phone. In China, hundreds of people will ask for your number, and for obvious reasons, I don’t like to give it to people I don’t know.
But we kept walking and I told her I was looking for a place to buy some cooking utensils. She asked if she could come with me. The girl seemed really genuine and sincere, and I didn’t mind having her along so I said it was fine. We were near a huge market that was extremely crowded. In China, friends hold hands all the time, especially in crowded places. It’s commonplace, and even guys hold each others’ hands, but it’s something I’m not used to. So, this girl – naturally – grabbed my hand. We were holding hands the entire half-hour or so we were at the market. I felt really weird about it because I don’t know her.
While I was making a purchase, I received a text message from a fellow international student. Luckily, the girl didn’t hear the alert tone! Soon after, we went our separate ways. She wrote down her phone number for me, though. And I think I will call her soon. (“Hi! I finally got a phone!”) You can never have too many Chinese friends, right?
But we kept walking and I told her I was looking for a place to buy some cooking utensils. She asked if she could come with me. The girl seemed really genuine and sincere, and I didn’t mind having her along so I said it was fine. We were near a huge market that was extremely crowded. In China, friends hold hands all the time, especially in crowded places. It’s commonplace, and even guys hold each others’ hands, but it’s something I’m not used to. So, this girl – naturally – grabbed my hand. We were holding hands the entire half-hour or so we were at the market. I felt really weird about it because I don’t know her.
While I was making a purchase, I received a text message from a fellow international student. Luckily, the girl didn’t hear the alert tone! Soon after, we went our separate ways. She wrote down her phone number for me, though. And I think I will call her soon. (“Hi! I finally got a phone!”) You can never have too many Chinese friends, right?
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