Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Marital Communication

10:15am *Ring!  Ring!*

Peter: Hello?
Me: Hi.  What are you doing?
Peter: Sleeping.  I'm going to work in an hour.  What are you doing?
Me: Teaching. My student is weird.
Peter:  Cool.  Ok, bye!
Me: Ok, bye!

12:42pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Peter: Hello?
Me: What's going on tonight?
Peter: Nothing.
Me: 80 said he was going to cook me General Tso's Chicken.
Peter:  No, we're not doing that.
Me: Uh, ok.  Hey, a bunch of people from work went to your shop for dinner last night.  They said it was good.  I gotta go.
Peter: Ok, bye!

2:53pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Me: Hello?
Peter: The Cessna sales office in Singapore doesn't have anyone who speaks Chinese.
Me: But the web page said their territory was China!
Peter: I know!  They can't speak English, either.  I was trying to give her my email address, I was all like "K for kill you, u for underwear, v for very fat, B for boy," and she was all like, "What?"
Me: Ok, I'll call them.  I'm can do bad English.  Hey, do Chinese people get ear infections?
Peter: Why?
Me: I think I have one.
Peter: Then why does it matter if Chinese people get them?
Me: I need the medicine, of course.
Peter: Er, I gotta go.
Me: So, for sure no dinner tonight?
Peter: Yep.
Me: Ok, bye.

6:10pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Peter's cousin (in Chinese): Peter forgot his phone again.  I'll get him to call you.
Me: Ok, bye.

6:27pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Me: Hello?
Peter: Where are you?
Me: I just left the pharmacy.
Peter: Did you get the medicine?
Me: Maybe.  I gotta go home and google it.
Peter: Are you coming to the shop?
Me: You said no dinner.  Do you want me to come?
Peter: 80 didn't come to his shop today, so he can't cook for you, but you can come if you want to.
Me: I'll come if you want me to come.
Peter: You can come if you want to come.
Me:  Yeah...I'm going home.  I have a headache.
Peter: Do you want to go to Cauliflower's birthday party later?
Me:  No, I have to get up early to go to the bank.
Peter: Ok, you go home, I'll pick you up later and we'll spend that gift card.
Me: Ok, bye.

6:41pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Peter: What are you doing?
Me: I'm at home.
Peter: Cool.  Hey, 80 wants you to come and eat General Tso's Chicken.
Me: You said he wasn't there today.
Peter: He wasn't!  I didn't think he was coming in.  Do you want to come?
Me: Uhhhh...
Peter: You don't have to.
Me: It'll take me forever to get back there.  What's easiest?
Peter: Er...
Me: My ear is full of medicine.  I think.
Peter: We'll do it tomorrow.
Me: Sorry!
Peter: Never mind.  Bye!
Me: Ok, bye.

10:37pm *Ring!  Ring!*

Me: Hello?
Peter: What are you doing?
Me: Sleeping.  I'm sorry I missed 80.
Peter: I'm sorry I'm still at work.
Me: I love you.
Peter: I love you, too.
Me: Ok.
Peter: Bye.

Monday, July 04, 2011

Salute to Fireworks

In honor of the Fourth of July, here's some Chinese firework footage.  The first is a video from Wuhan in 2006, from the top of the building I lived in.  This was taken on Chinese National Day, which is October 1st. 


These two photos are also from National Day 2006.  Some friends and I went to see the city's display of fireworks, set off not near but actually on the Yangtze river.



Oooh!  Ahhh!



Happy Fourth!