Double Feature!

So this is a second post as I'm trying this new blog approach, by topic versus by day.  Let's face it, everyday of my life in China is not worth sharing and I feel silly blogging about it.  But some things stick out, like a taxi ride I had.

I was carrying a boxing bag (don't ask, please, I'm not sure why I bought it either) that I picked up from another foreigner--a nice Lebanese guy who works for an oil company and may be leaving Chengdu, but will probably be back.  He's a funny guy, bought a treadmill and bought "How I Met Your Mother" to start an exercise routine.  But he's in better shape than me, so he's doing something right.--  So there I am, lugging a large red bag and it's stand.  I can actually feel my shoulder muscles, a muscle I rarely, if ever, can feel.  I can't find a cab, the guy is gone, so I keep walking a couple meters, drop everything, rest, and repeat.  Stupidity has never felt so cruel.

And then there's a man in front of a hotel.  We get into a gesture conversation:
"Look how stupid I am lugging all this crap" (I gesture)
"Haha, yes, you are silly.  Is that for boxing?" (he gestures)
"Yes, yes it is." (I gesture)
Pause...
"It's really heavy, I can't find a cab?" (I try to gesture)
"Follow me" (he gestures)

And this is why you're kids should (or you) should take acting classes.  Cause someday, they might be in China!  "Oh, but my kids won't ever me in China" you say.  Well, talk to my parents.  They're just as surprised as I am.

So he leads me just to the curb where a taxi driver has seemingly refused to take another passenger.  And then there's the moment of truth.
"Where are you going?" (the driver asks, in Chinese, translation is simply guessed)
"International Community" (in Chinese!!!) "The street name?" ( I add in Chinese)
Get in (he gestures)
"Really?" (in English)
I thank the other man, and put all my stuff in the back.  So I sit in the front.


"Hello" I say (Chinese)
He smiles.
I gesture about the stuff and carrying it all...it's hard work.
He smiles.
"Foreigner" I say in a mocking tone of myself gesturing to the bag.
His eyes light up!  He laughs!
"What's your name?" (Chinese)
He responds by pointing to his name on the dash...it's in Chinese.
"Uh...."
He goes through the three characters with me.
"Where are you from?" he asks in Chinese.
"....."
"Where are you from" (English)
"USA"
"U...S...A..."
"Yes" (in Chinese) "Where are YOU from" (I ask in English)
He gestures he won't tell, probably because I won't know.  Which is probably true.
Then he goes on and on in Chinese about something and says foreigner a bunch of times and then says Zhonghai international community a bunch of times.
Oh, he wants me to say it?
"Zhonghai international community" (in Chinese I say)
He repeats as before.
I repeat as before.
"Correct" He says (in Chinese)
Then we go over the street name; this guy is giving me a Chinese pronunciation lesson.  I make a mental note that the Chinese like when foreigners use self-deprecating humor.  Perhaps a way in in future situations.

This was the LONGEST conversation I've been able to keep in Chinese/bits of English.  Then he pulls out his phone and calls a friend.  Something about driving this foreigner to Zhonghai, which is far.  Maybe he's complaining?  He sees a young boy in a car next to us and comments in Chinese.  I gesture/ask if he has a son.  He does.  So he calls his wife and I can hear the son in the background.  Apparently EVERYONE must know that there's a young foreigner in his car trying to speak Chinese.  The wife laughs, the son laughs, I laugh.  I laugh, though, for my safety.  He's driving sooo fast and we keep almost hitting other cars.   You know those movie scenes where two big bussed are merging towards itself and the hero/heroine is flooring it between them in a small car? Yeah we were that small car. 
I gesture a steering wheel and say:
"Very good" (in Chinese)
"NOOOOO!" (in English)
Yep, he's a Dad.  At least he knows, he drives dangerously.  But we arrive safely to Zhonghai.  I am grateful because he actually took me seriously.  Sometimes when I try to speak Chinese (and I don't know hardly any) I just get disinterest.  So it was nice finally be heard AND understood.

Makes me want to spend my free time learning more; but Thanksgiving is this week.  I'm attending two and I'm baking something every night.  Already have two loaves of pumpkin bread; one a whole lot more whole than the other.  I will learn how to beat this toaster oven.  And I will hopefully learn more Chinese...just, not now.  There's baking to be done.  This is serious business you know.