Bikes, Haircuts, more Bananas, Eggs, and the ever-present Panda

It failed to make it into the blog before the story ended, but it was a story nonetheless. On perhaps the third day I was here I went with another student to the closest large convenience store and set out to buy a bike. I decided it would set me free to unleash myself on the city and see a world that no one else would get. My first adventure I set out with speed and vigor, head down pedaling hard, and then realizing that I was a few miles out in the wrong direction. I checked the map, adjusted course and set out once more for the "Forest Park" that I had picked as my destination. Several stops and a half a dozen miles later I made it to my destination.

The place looked awesome, but also looked like it was closing down. I approached the gate and asked if I could go in. The first answer was "No, were closed", but then another man spoke and said "Its, not problem go right ahead." I smiled and started to ride in -- only to have security hail me down and look at me like I was crazy.

I left the back grinning sheepishly, knowing that I had been "gotten" as good as you can get one. The crowd left at the gate had a similar expression on their faces when I came out, and I said in Chinese "You oughn't pull a joke on me like that just because I'm a foreigner". They thought they/I was hysterical, had a good laugh and I set back for home.

I decided to take a new route home to see the scenery, and managed to get lost again. This time a good 7-8 miles away from home, the pedal of my bike fell off -- right over some train tracks. I spent half an hour trying to fix it, failed miserably, spent a half hour finding a 24 hour bike repair shop and finally made it home some 4.5 hours after setting out - thrilled with my first bike experience.

In the next 2 weeks it broke twice more. Two nights ago, I went to use it, and when I turned the key in the lock -- the 'metal' of the key shredded in half leaving the already rusted lock busted. The dorm wouldn't take my bike in for the night, and by morning, my $25 falling apart brand-new bike was the treasure of some thief.

I shared the story in my "discussion class today" all had a good laugh and said in unison "Welcome to China" -- its a cool story to have. I miss my bike only because it was mine and a symbol of independence and uniqueness, people knew me as the guy with a bike, but I'm OK ... unlikely to get another.

I dared to get my haircut the other day. I walked in - used my recently looked up vocab of "haircut" and found it was a whopping $1.35 for the haircut (a pretty darn good price). I warned him (in Chinese) I may not be able to explain what I wanted to well other than that I wanted it shorter - but it turned out successful and we chatted away while I got a haircut I rather quite like. Today some 5 guys on my program stopped me and inquired where/how/and how to get their hair cut -- I like doing things first, its fun.

They have a word for people who are ABC (American Born Chinese). They call them "Bananas" because they are "yellow" on the outside but "white" on the inside. Today I learned from a classmate who has lived here for a while that he calls himself an "egg" because he is white on the outside yelllow on the inside after having lived here for a while. Apparently he tried explaining this to some people, and was met with great confusion ---- eggs in China are always brown on the outside ... people thought he thought he was "brown" and "yellow" and saw him as an American. Maybe it doesn't come out in writing, but its a hysterical story in Chinese.

The ever-present Panda has also returned! Anything with the word"Panda" --（大熊猫）prounounced [Da Xiong Mao] is by definition hysterical. We have read a few passages about Starbucks in discussion class (by far the most fun Chinese class) and from time to time in answer to a question a classmate or I will give a panda answer. Our imaginary Starbucks Panda has now found a girlfriend, been a give-away for a customer that drinks one thousand cappachinos -- drinken so much coffee that he has turned coffee colored and has unfortunately gotten the Chinese "辣肚子" or Fire Stomach which is the casual description for what happens when one eats too much Chinese street food and finds themselves spending all their time in the bathroom. Our panda stories grow ever more hilarious, and are certain to make their way back into this blog again. Coffee Panda!!!!