A Few Funny Quotes from Abroad

"Your haircut is really out of style. We like the bangs cut straight across, not sideswept like yours." -hairdresser

"Besides being concerned about where you are from, Chinese people always have to ask how much money you make, what your parents do for a living, if you own a house or a car, and how much you spend on rent and tuition. This is important so you can find out about the person's family background and if the person a potential future mate (if the opposite sex)." -friend

"Do you think there are other life forms in the universe? Do you think they have ever visited the planet Earth?" -13-year old language partner, in English during an interview exercise. A philosophical discussion about Transformers then ensued.

"In China, it is the parents' duty to continue giving money to their children, even after they [the children] get married. Parents will give all their money to their children if they can, or at least they will buy them a house." -friend

"I'm learning Arabic now because the Middle East is becoming an important player in China's foreign relations considering their huge petroleum reserves." -friend

"I apply for jobs for eight hours every day. There are too many people in China, we live in "hard mode." Americans live in "easy mode." -friend

"I asked an American once about their dating culture. He said that they don't use introductions and they don't necessarily date their classmates. He said that you just find a girlfriend on your own, maybe by walking up and saying hi. I still don't understand how this is possible." -sociology professor, half-joking




"Do you have mosquito bites? Here, take some anti-itch medication." -super friendly officer at the Public Security Bureau.

"In China, you might not be able to get on Facebook, but at least you can download as many music, TV shows and movies that you want." -Chinese tutor

"Wow, your face and your hands and you nose are so different from ours. And I can't understand a word you are saying." 老太太 (female senior citizen) at the park.

"My salary is very high. About 650 RMB per day. That is a high salary for a Chinese person. My car is one of the most expensive cars you can buy in China." -former student

"Do I look older?" - my former host brother, when I saw him for the first time in a year. He's taller than me now and turning into quite a 帅哥 (handsome boy)

Picture time!

At a Mao Zedong slash Cultural Revolution paraphernalia restaurant with Xiaoyu. Everything is meant to look like it did during the time of public canteens, right down to the servers' uniforms, the picnic tables, the dishware, and the propaganda banners. It's meant to be a joke.

New CIEE students (plus a 2008-2009 CIEE'er) at Ellen's, a Western style bar

My good friend Gao Min with two tequila shots (with lemon, limes don't exist here), reminiscing at Talking about CIEE Spring '10 and missing Nate.

Chinese word of the day

糖尿病－ tangniaobing, literally "sugar urine disease", aka diabetes