This will be the last "coincidence" in this series.
Being married to the Chinese culture, I tag along whenever the wife wants to go to Chinatown (Bellaire area here in Houston) to do some grocery shopping. At the right time of year this can be an interesting experience, as they celebrate the Chinese New Year by setting off firecrackers in front of stores as a way to ensure prosperity. There's also the dancing dragons with the drumbeating, etc. Makes shopping for groceries a little less of a chore, though the crowds are much larger.
Years ago when we went shopping during the New Year at one of those grocery stores the crowds were thick with people both outside watching the spectacle and inside to shop. While the wife shopped I'd stayed behind to watch some of what was going on when a girl of about four bumped into my legs. I said "Excuse me" in Chinese. The girl looked up at me, let out a little gasp, and ran off. I didn't think much of it.
Well, unbeknownst to me the girl ran straight to her mother and told her that there was a white guy over there that could speak Chinese! (and unbeknownst to her, it was one of only very few phrases that I knew at the time) She took her mom by the hand and dragged her over to where I'd gone, by which time I'd caught up with Chenjean and her sister.
Instead of looking at me, her mom took one look at Chenjean and let out a squeal. Turns out they were classmates in Taiwan! Very interesting turn of events...they caught up and talked for about 20 minutes before everyone went their way.
No comments:
Post a Comment