sofasurfers

I’m getting used to being the white freak in China (I have had my
photo taken too many times to count). I was sitting in the park,
minding my own business when four teenagers stroll past me. After a
short time, I hear a meek “Hello!” - the teenagers evidently stopped
right by me without me noticing and had spent the last five minutes
composing their opening line. “Hi!” I say (in English). They fall
about laughing. Another couple of minutes pass, and then they sidle up
to me. They are giggling. “Hi!” I say again. They wave a girly white
mobile phone in my direction, which translates as them wanting to take
my picture. Sure! I take their picture in return. I’m wondering how
old they are, so I write in my book, “1974″ and point to me, and then
point to them. “1991,” one of them writes. We smile at each other.
They linger. We exchange names. They linger. Then: “I miss you!” says
one of the girls. I miss you too, I say. And then we just hang out in
this little bubble of mutual curiosity, in a surprisingly comfortable
silence, until it’s time for me to leave. I say good bye in Chinese,
and they in English.