Yan-bo, our guardian angel.
Beer and food. And maybe American food?
Beach from the other side of the island.
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And I played with 3 other ex-pat gay men in the area.
In 嘉莲大厦, in the glitzier part of town far away from the beach, we drank beers and ate French Chicken-flavored Lay's Chips. I learned some local gossip and what's it's like to teach English in this city to all types of Chinese (children, professionals, housewives, etc).
I learned that people are here who aren't learning the language. I'm feel helpless sometimes, not knowing the language. One dude couldn't read the first character in China, 中. I mean, really?
In class earlier that day, we talked about migration and a bit about the life of cab drivers here in the city, since most of them are migrant workers (in fact, 2/3 of the population of the United States have moved from rural areas to urban ones in China). When going back to campus around 1:30 in the morning (with an 8 o'clock class!), I decided to talk to my cab driver. As we cruised past the people sleeping in the tunnels, along the beach, walking dressed in nothing but night-shirts and boxers...I turned and asked about his life. I didn't get his age, yet he looked younger than me or around the same age. He was from Henan 河南, and took about a 30 hr train to get to Xiamen. He only went home once a year, around the Mid-Autumn festival to see his family. He came with friends here, but where they are now who knows. He liked Xiamen because it was fairly small, not too congested like bigger cities, and he didn't get sick.
He said my Chinese was "good enough" 还可以.
To bad he can't tell directions to save his life. I knew he was heading the wrong way, but since I was a little buzzed and don't know Xiamen all that well, I didn't say anything. I paid twice going back then what I did going to homeboy's place to play Mahjong. I guess I paid not only for the trip, but for his company.
Nights are crazy like that.
Check out this blog. Ｉt's the business!
http://www.danwei.org/
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