sofasurfers

Note to self: don’t overcomplicate the communication when
corresponding with locals.
This little lesson was learnt when approaching my most recent couch in
China, in Guilin (going south, getting warmer, now hitting 20
degrees!). I’d organised to stay with a native Chinese host (whoop!
These are rare beasts on couchsurfing!), who lives in a
tri-generational set-up (triple whoop). “Please let me know if it’s
possible to stay, otherwise I will find an alternative,” I’d said. And
possible it seemed – my host responded: “We have couch and floor for
you.” But just two days before I was due to arrive in Guilin, I
received the following bulletin: “I have given your couch to an
Australian man as you said you had alternatives.” Nooooo! How I cursed
my excessive verbiage – how I’d confused matters.
Oh anyway, I managed to find a new host, though not native but Serbian
– and, with some amount of silver lining, he happened to be a
couchsurfing ambassador (so, a) he knows everyone in town, and b) he
honours his offer). “Ah – you were going to stay with Bleepity Bleep,”
he said, when I explained Plan A. “He’s a married gay guy, and he also
lives with his mother. He’s on couchsurfing to meet young men. You
see, it’s very difficult to be gay in China.” Complicated, then.