that other disease: the hello foreigner syndrome
Today Tessa, my student, my student's mother and I were standing outside one of the three Jilin University Hospitals, discussing random medical things. (My student and her parents have been beyond kind to me; I owe them so much.) We were standing in a cluster, with Tessa being the one deepest in our cluster. Suddenly, a young woman came up, pushed through, and grabbed Tessa's arm. The young woman said, "Welcome to China! I'm so happy you are here! (she said that last part in Chinese) Do you speak Chinese?"
I think it was the setting, but I just couldn't believe it. What amazing chutzpah. How did she know that Tessa wasn't sick or that she hadn't come out after visiting a sick relative or friend? People don't hang outside a hospital without a reason. We were all a little stunned, especially my student and my student's mother.
Tessa was very polite to her, but we all started walking away rather quickly after that.
Seriously, outside a bloody hospital.
Every day I'm thankful that I pass just enough that people don't pull this kind of crap with me. Yeah, once they hear me speak then I get the dreaded interrogation, but it's very rare that random people come up and start talking--and usually only because they heard me speak English to someone else with me or on the phone first.
Thanks to Nicole's suggestion that we pop into a pharmacy--which hadn't occurred to me because I've been to the hospital several times now--I have found some Claritin and it is doing wonders. WONDERS.
I think it was the setting, but I just couldn't believe it. What amazing chutzpah. How did she know that Tessa wasn't sick or that she hadn't come out after visiting a sick relative or friend? People don't hang outside a hospital without a reason. We were all a little stunned, especially my student and my student's mother.
Tessa was very polite to her, but we all started walking away rather quickly after that.
Seriously, outside a bloody hospital.
Every day I'm thankful that I pass just enough that people don't pull this kind of crap with me. Yeah, once they hear me speak then I get the dreaded interrogation, but it's very rare that random people come up and start talking--and usually only because they heard me speak English to someone else with me or on the phone first.
Thanks to Nicole's suggestion that we pop into a pharmacy--which hadn't occurred to me because I've been to the hospital several times now--I have found some Claritin and it is doing wonders. WONDERS.