Rockstar

China, you're crafty.
Whenever I loose faith in you as I watch people not help in accidents (due to some strange laws) or as I get yelled at on a bus for loosing my footing (because 200+ people shouldn't be on a bus), you send someone to make me laugh and feel like a rock star/movie star.

Today, as I was getting my brand-new (soon-to-be-stolen) bicycle assembled after having a hectic day teaching, two Chinese university students came up to me:

"You are so smart"

"Smart? Why do you think I'm smart? I just bought a brand-new bicycle, that's not smart"

They laugh, then:

"No, I mean, you are so handsome!"

"Oh..."

They giggle and walk-away looking back every ten seconds or so.

This whole interaction is starting to feel normal AND I'm proud to say, I'm never expecting them to say handsome.  That's right, I get told on a weekly basis by some girl or guy on the street that I am handsome (or I hear someway say the foreigner is cute in Chinese) and I still get awkward every-single-time!  Which is far better than the alternative of becoming vain about it.  But damn, it's not so bad getting a self-esteem boost by random strangers.  China is...very blunt.  I have a feeling if they thought I wasn't handsome, I'd know that too.  In the US, if you think a stranger's cute, you don't generally comment to them; you may tell your friend after you pass.  In China, they tell you!  At first I thought maybe they want something from me, but no, they just want to tell you what they think--then they leave.  Maybe if they knew more English they'd stay, but I think it's really just part of the culture--or at least part of the culture towards foreigners.  They're aren't many foreigners my age here; so my youth is a rarity.

When Cynthia and I were exploring a Tibetan neighborhood and an old Chinese neighborhood, I posed for several pictures; Cynthia often declined.  I must be in like 200 pictures now.  My students have some of me; people on the street; and people from my brief travels.  And yet, when I want to take a picture of a man dressed in Tibetan robes, I get awkward?  But often the Chinese will shy away from the camera...not fair!

Also: whenever they say, "you are so handsome", it always seems to come out: "you are...SOHANDSOME" So handsome being a bit louder, very fast, and all one word.  Which never ever fails to make me blush.  Stop it China, you're too kind.  You're pretty fly yourself.