Coffeeshop Randomness

I actually wrote this post a few days ago but was unable to put it up because of internet issues, surprise, surprise. Also, COMING SOON - my Beijing Superbowl experience...get psyched!

February 3, 2007

As I was walking back to the dorm today from a study session at the campus coffee shop, I came up with a really great idea I was planning on describing in my blog upon my return, but since then I’ve been distracted and, unfortunately, the astute piece of insight I once had has been forgotten.

However, I do have an interesting story to share (it’s good, I promise!). So today I spent my afternoon at the campus coffee shop, Paradiso, trying to make a dent in the massive amounts of reading I was assigned this week. I really like Paradiso – it has a very cozy atmosphere, they play great music, and the coffee is pretty good and pretty cheap. Right now it’s a great place to study, but I’m sure things will change once the majority of the campus returns from winter break at the end of February. Anyway, I had just plunged into my reading when a random Chinese guy walks up to me and goes, “you’re a foreigner! Where are you from?” When I replied that I was American, he goes, “fascinating!” and proceeds to pull up a chair and plops down at my table. The ensuing conversation was kind of interesting and definitely amusing, to say the least. I spent most of the time entertained by the fact that this guy simply decided to interrupt my studying to pull up a chair, uninvited, and start talking to me about America. I didn’t mind it too much because it’s a great opportunity to practice my Chinese and learn some things about life in China. Actually, this isn’t the first time a random Chinese person has approached me to talk about America; a few days ago a girl came up to me to ask me how her friend could get an American passport (trust me, trying to explain things of that nature to someone in Chinese is incredibly difficult!), but this was the first time someone decided to interrupt me when I was clearly already absorbed by something else.

So whoever this guy was sits down and immediately opens the book I was reading (Governing China: From Revolution through Reform) and starts reading aloud from it. After reading several passages, he starts talking very loudly and enthusiastically about Chinese government. It turns out he’s a constitutional law major at PKU, so he started asking me about the US Constitution. At one point he said very loudly, “the US Constitution is based on the LURE OF LAW, the LURE OF LAW!” I was kind of confused, thinking, “‘lure of law’? What is that?” Then I realized that he, like many Chinese people, was pronouncing his Ls like Rs, and vice versa, so he really meant to say “rule of law”. I don’t mean to sound like I’m making fun of him because Lord knows my Chinese probably sounds hilarious to most native speakers, but it was very amusing because he was being so loud! Needless to say, it was an all-around odd experience.

UPDATE (one day later): My friends and I went back to Paradiso to study. You can probably guess what happens next…yes, our friend (whose English name is apparently Richard) came back again to grace us with his presence. About fifteen minutes into the conversation, some other Chinese people at a nearby table decided to pull up their chairs as well and join in. I don’t know that we’ll be making many more study trips to Paradiso, seeing as we can’t seem to get any work done without being interrupted!