Greetings on a Chinese Street

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I am walking along a tree lined lane. Temples dot my vision, here and there...I am still in Wu tai shan, the holy pilgrimmage place of Chinese Buddhism. Stillness underlies the environment, seething through the surface where on cars pass and honk, hammers bang and clang. Up ahead, who is it....is it her? Yes, the girl who served me food yesterday. How interesting. Yuan fen. Synchronicity. She notices me. The gap between us closes. We approach eachother, she is young, in a white shirt, and less skinny than most Chinese girls. Her black hair is pulled back behind her round face and her eyes see me with a casual expression. Next comes the casual greeting.

-"Chi le meiyou?" Have you eaten or not, she asks

+"Mei chi guo. Ni ne?" I haven't eaten, how about you? I reply

-"Wo ye hai mei chi guo" I also haven't yet eaten.

+"O...O, zaijian" Oh, okay, goodbye!

-"O..zaijian" Okay, goodbye!

All happened while we were in motion...passing eachother and heading off in opposite directions. But not without this casual and typical Chinese greeting. After it ended and I walked on my American mind was mightily amused by the nature of our greeting, a mere discussion of the vitils and then we're off. Ahh, China.

I walk on down the lane in quiet admiration and appreciation of this land and it's people. And they would be rather perturbed to hear that I barely ate anything else that night!

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Comments

[clara]

This article is of Chinese style~ :)

[stephanieandcodyinchina]

ahh yes
a wonderful story indeed. Thinking of you friend.