This has been the most interesting week I've had since I've been to Shanghai. I've been here for almost 2 months, and the transition has been quite normal. There was no major culture shock (no surprise there), work has been going well, and the adjustment has been pretty smooth...until this week.
Two challenges happened to me this week. The first was I had a stalker. This is the first (and hopefully the last) stalker I've ever had. This past Saturday my friend celebrated her birthday by going to a karaoke place. It's been since HS that I've gone to karaoke, and I was really not looking forward to it, but I ended up have a good time despite my doubts.
My friend teaches English in Shanghai, so she invited a few of her students to the party. Since my friend did not speak Chinese and her students' English was limited, I ended up being one of two people there that could really communicate with the Chinese nationals and the ex-pats. I begun talking to her group of students, trying to be friendly. As we kept on talking to each other, I began to feel like two of girls would not leave me alone. I was very cordial (and I probably only end up speaking to them for a total of 30 min) to them, but I left the party early because it started to get out of hand.
The next day I receive a text from one of the girls. I made the mistake of giving the girls my business card (very common practice when you meet someone new in China; and when they asked for it, I didn't think twice). 90% of the business cards here also include your personal cell phone #, so when I received her text I realized that I shouldn't have given her my business card. I didn't want to be rude so I texted her back (being very nice and professional about it) and she kept on texting me...
She texted and called me throughout the whole week, telling me all these things (I'm not going to repeat what they were...kind of embarrassing) that made me uncomfortable. The climax of this drama was when she told me she was sending me a gift to my office...A GIFT TO MY OFFICE! I ONLY SPOKE TO THE GIRL FOR ABOUT 30 MIN AND ONLY MET HER ONCE AND SHE WAS GOING TO SEND ME A GIFT TO MY OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finally decided to tell my friend (her teacher) about it; my friend said she'll take care of it and since today, I haven't received a call for her. Hopefully (and not trying to sound mean) I won't received any more calls.
The second situation is happening as I'm writing this entry. I had to stay late at the office today. I got done around 11 PM and when I left I realized that the subway was closed (I can't believe the subway closes at 11 PM in a city of 17 million people). This is the first time I've stayed out past 11 (yeah I know, my life is boring) in Shanghai. Since the subway was closed, I had to take a taxi. Oh, the frustration! It is impossible to get a taxi on a friday night in the middle of the city! I walked around for an hour trying to get one, and just could not do it. Maybe it's because I'm not agressive enough (I saw two people almost get into a fight). I mean you would think that since I lived in NYC I would have picked up some of the rudeness of New Yorkers...Shanghainese are just as rude (if not ruder) than New Yorkers, and I promised myself I wouldn't end up like one of them, thus I am still sitting in my office right now at midnight writing this blog...sigh...
Well, gotta go out and try again...maybe I should just sleep in the office...that might work too...
Two challenges happened to me this week. The first was I had a stalker. This is the first (and hopefully the last) stalker I've ever had. This past Saturday my friend celebrated her birthday by going to a karaoke place. It's been since HS that I've gone to karaoke, and I was really not looking forward to it, but I ended up have a good time despite my doubts.
My friend teaches English in Shanghai, so she invited a few of her students to the party. Since my friend did not speak Chinese and her students' English was limited, I ended up being one of two people there that could really communicate with the Chinese nationals and the ex-pats. I begun talking to her group of students, trying to be friendly. As we kept on talking to each other, I began to feel like two of girls would not leave me alone. I was very cordial (and I probably only end up speaking to them for a total of 30 min) to them, but I left the party early because it started to get out of hand.
The next day I receive a text from one of the girls. I made the mistake of giving the girls my business card (very common practice when you meet someone new in China; and when they asked for it, I didn't think twice). 90% of the business cards here also include your personal cell phone #, so when I received her text I realized that I shouldn't have given her my business card. I didn't want to be rude so I texted her back (being very nice and professional about it) and she kept on texting me...
She texted and called me throughout the whole week, telling me all these things (I'm not going to repeat what they were...kind of embarrassing) that made me uncomfortable. The climax of this drama was when she told me she was sending me a gift to my office...A GIFT TO MY OFFICE! I ONLY SPOKE TO THE GIRL FOR ABOUT 30 MIN AND ONLY MET HER ONCE AND SHE WAS GOING TO SEND ME A GIFT TO MY OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finally decided to tell my friend (her teacher) about it; my friend said she'll take care of it and since today, I haven't received a call for her. Hopefully (and not trying to sound mean) I won't received any more calls.
The second situation is happening as I'm writing this entry. I had to stay late at the office today. I got done around 11 PM and when I left I realized that the subway was closed (I can't believe the subway closes at 11 PM in a city of 17 million people). This is the first time I've stayed out past 11 (yeah I know, my life is boring) in Shanghai. Since the subway was closed, I had to take a taxi. Oh, the frustration! It is impossible to get a taxi on a friday night in the middle of the city! I walked around for an hour trying to get one, and just could not do it. Maybe it's because I'm not agressive enough (I saw two people almost get into a fight). I mean you would think that since I lived in NYC I would have picked up some of the rudeness of New Yorkers...Shanghainese are just as rude (if not ruder) than New Yorkers, and I promised myself I wouldn't end up like one of them, thus I am still sitting in my office right now at midnight writing this blog...sigh...
Well, gotta go out and try again...maybe I should just sleep in the office...that might work too...
4 条评论:
nice entry. so i assume your second attempt at rudeness (Securing a taxi) proved futile on a friday night...? how sad is it that i thought it was wednesday today?! ha. i was thinking, "friday night?! what?" so anywho, entertaining entry but not as descriptive or allegorical as it could've been...i mean, hello! you've been stuck at your office all night (classic)...so you have lots of time to be creative :) i guess you're just tired :) welp, baby's a callin'. peace.
I'm sure you could have texted your stalker to come pick you up from work if you really wanted....
WOW. A stalker. In China. Doesn't get much better than that I wouldn't think...
How old was that girl? And you should have just pulled out Mean Will!
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